


Where this Flower Grows

by ApomaroMellow



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Bee!Rose, F/M, Other Additional Tags to Be Added
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-08-29
Updated: 2020-09-25
Packaged: 2020-09-30 02:53:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 38
Words: 73,504
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20439083
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ApomaroMellow/pseuds/ApomaroMellow
Summary: Marinette's parents have died, leaving her all alone in the world at five. And with limited options, she has no choice but to live with her grandfather.Roland Dupain never got to make amends with his son, but perhaps he can do right by him by raising his daughter. And Roland does love Marinette. But that doesn't mean he lets go of his traditional ways of thinking.AU created by chibiphoebe https://chibiphoebe.tumblr.com/





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> inspired by this post: from chibiphoebe https://chibiphoebe.tumblr.com/post/185553184742/if-marinette-was-raised-by-rolland

Marinette holds tight to the memory of her parents. Of her mother's warm hugs, of her father's gentle voice. Because she'd never experience them again. If you asked her, she couldn't quite say what she felt. Sadness, of course. But it was deeper than that. It was utter devastation. But being five, she didn't really know how to articulate herself.

She just remembered clinging to her grandmother Gina the entire time. During the funeral for both of her parents, Marinette saw relatives from either side, some for the first time.

Like her grandfather, Roland.

He hadn't said a word to her the entire time but Gina had pointed him out to Marinette before the ceremony began. Afterwards, Marinette was not privy to the conversation, but it was decided that she would live with her grandfather from now on. All of Sabine's family lived in China and Marinette didn't know a word of Mandarin.

Gina would have been more than happy to care for her, but she didn't have a permanent residence in Paris. But Roland did. And although he gruffed about raising a girl on his own being the least traditional way, he eventually agreed to raise her.

* * *

Marinette looked up at the steel gates of her new home. Already it felt so different from the bakery she was used to living in. People of all kinds coming in and out to buy her parents' pastries. With this, Marinette began to feel trapped. Gina knelt down to her level.

"I will visit you as much as I can, my little fairy. Be a girl good for your grandpa. But not too good", she winked.

Marinette giggled, although she wasn't sure how to be good but not too good. Gina kissed her forehead and gave Roland her goodbye before heading off into the world. She did so in the hope that maybe she could get far away enough to stop seeing her son's face in everything. Especially in her granddaughter.

Roland brought Marinette inside and she felt like she was in a museum. Everything was old. Then again, her only other frame of reference for old people was her grandmother, who was rather modern. Roland showed her to her room and helped her put her stuff away, all the while sorting through her clothing and discarding the items he didn't approve of.

The first time Marinette protested against him trashing a pair of shorts she liked (they were pink and ruffled) he shot her down.

"You don't need to go prancing around in clothes like these. It's shameful!" With that, he threw the shorts away, as well as several other pairs of pants and overalls and shorts.

Marinette didn't know what 'shameful' meant. But she would come to understand it soon.

* * *

Roland didn't know what he was doing. He could admit that. He thought he'd done everything right with his son only to have it fall apart the past few years. And then his son was gone without any resolution. Had he been in the wrong in the end? If he had conceded to some of his views, he would have seen his son before his demise.

His first time meeting his granddaughter wouldn't have been at his son's funeral!

His granddaughter.

Roland watched her, play with some dolls on the floor. Marinette was nothing like Tom. For one thing, she was a girl. That, added to her dark black hair that bordered on blue in some lights reminded Roland more of the woman who had taken his son. It was enough to make him want to look away from Marinette. But he couldn't. With Marinette, he had a second chance.

This time he would do it right. This one wouldn't get away from him. He was thinking this as he was getting some ingredients out for bread. He didn't notice Marinette come up from behind until she spoke up.

"Are you going to bake?", she asked.

Roland looked down at her. He hadn't even looked at flour since the news of his son. This would be the first time Marinette would have seen him making bread. He smiled down at her.

"I am. And if you can sit quietly and listen, I can teach you."

Marinette did as she was told and hung onto every word. If she concentrated, she could pretend it was her father teaching her about bread. When it went into the oven and the scent filled the apartment, Marinette was reminded of home.

Having a young child around brought a new energy to the place that Roland appreciated. It simply felt brighter in his home thanks to Marinette. She still cried sometimes when she thought of her parents, but she was a happy child. She wasn't perfect though, as she found out through her grandfather. The first time it had happened was when they flipped through a photo album from her father's childhood.

"That is him with Cherise, a very nice girl, as I remember. She would have made a nice wife for your father."

Marinette frowned at that. "My mom was a nice wife."

Roland gestured with his hand that Marinette didn't completely understand but knew that it meant he disagreed with her. Marinette was ready to speak up again but her grandfather must've noticed it. His words were sharp and quick.

"Little girls should be seen and not heard!"

Marinette's shoulders slumped. She didn't feel like looking at pictures anymore.

"With your looks you should hope no one sees too much of you. But you're young. There's hope for you yet to see who you take more after."

Marinette slumped even more.

* * *

And so life went like this. Roland saw himself as giving Marinette all the love she deserved while slowly bettering her in the process. Marinette, most of the time believed her grandfather loved her, but at times, it was like he resented her. Any decision was met either with disapproval or a backhanded compliment. And it seemed nothing she ever did was good enough.

Coming home with a drawing that her teacher really liked? "Artists don't contribute anything to society."

Getting good grades? "Boys don't like smart girls."

Confessing that she liked a boy? "You're too young for boys." She just couldn't win.

Gina did visit and found herself regretting her decisions more and more. But there wasn't much she could do without disrupting Marinette's life again. Little did anyone know, something more disruptive than a simple move was about to crash into Marinette Dupain's life.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> some say Atlanta,  
some say New York,  
some say Paris, France but  
who knows...


	2. Chapter 2

Gina visited China a lot, and different areas of it as well. It was a beautiful country that had grabbed her interest even more when she learned she'd be getting a daughter-in-law whose family hailed from it. But this time it wasn't quite a social visit. It was all business. Family business that is. She came to a restaurant and there waiting for her was Wang Cheng.

"I'm worried about Marinette", she said, getting right to the point. "My husband isn't known for his...sensitivity. Our own son didn't know a word of Italian growing up."

"You worry that she will lose a part of her heritage?", Wang asked.

Gina nodded. "I don't want her to forget who she is. But I can not help with this part. You are the closest connection she has to Sabine's family."

"I will see to it", Wang said with a nod. He'd had his doubts about the man raising his grand niece, but felt that it was not his place to say. But now that he was being directly asked, he couldn't stand by and do nothing.

That being said, it wasn't easy. The first few times that he called Roland, the man refused to speak to him. When he finally allowed a conversation, it was hard to get Marinette on the phone. When that happened, her voice was clear as a bell and sounded happy. But Wang knew that if Gina was right, her happiness was conditional. He asked if she wanted to come and visit him at his place of work.

He would be working as a guest chef at a hotel for about a month and wanted to see her. Marinette hesitated. She knew her grandfather would never allow it. She couldn't put her finger on why, but her grandfather didn't approve of her mother's family. Marinette knew the reason was because they were Chinese, but she didn't understand the problem.

And racist seemed like such a dirty word to apply to him. Racists were evil. They were the bad guys. But her grandfather was good, wasn't he? He loved her. He just had the wrong idea about people sometimes. Marinette did her best to discretely plan going out with her uncle. Luckily now that she was twelve, she was allowed to leave on her own from time to time.

So long as it was known where she was going, who she was with and how long she'd be there. And sometimes she even had to provide contact info of her friend's parents if she was going over to their house.

Marinette planned to meet with her uncle and the day of, she packed her bag full of texts books under the guise of going to the library.

"Don't be late for dinner", her grandfather said as he looked her over to make sure she was presentable to the public. "You're going to have to start putting your hair up soon. It's getting long."

"Okay", Marinette touched her hair. It was getting past her shoulders now. She left out and made her way to the most luxurious hotel in Paris. Marinette felt lost in the lobby. She wondered if she should ask where the kitchen was.

"Marinette Dupain."

She could have groaned at the sound of her name. There was only one person who would call it out so derisively. And it was the one person she didn't want to see.

"What's a baker girl doing in my daddy's hotel?", Chloe's eyes scanned over her like she was searching for imperfections. Which she was. Before Marinette could stumble out an answer, Chloe's butler approached.

"Mademoiselle, it's time to leave for your play date with Monsieur Agreste."

"Later, loser. I'm off for something you've never had. Fun." Chloe flipped her hair with a turn, leaving Marinette by herself.

"Marinette?"

This time the voice was heavily accented and Marinette looked up to see a man she didn't know. Suddenly she felt nervous. Her grandfather had warned her about strange men. And here she was, planning on meeting one. What had she been thinking? Her grandfather had been right. Marinette froze in place.

Wang didn't have much confidence in his english, so when his grand niece appeared paralyzed, he wasn't sure what to say to her to assuage her fears. But then he realized this was their first face to face in years. She may have met him at the funeral, but to her, he was a stranger. Wang took out his phone and showed her a picture of himself with Gina.

Instantly, she smiled. "My nona! So you're my uncle? My Uncle Wang?", her voice got quieter near the end when she realized she had raised it.

He nodded and then guided her to the kitchen. Marinette put her bag off to the side as Wang showed her around. Marinette awed in the gleam of all the state of the art equipment. It was a stark difference from what her grandfather had. Marinette had learned how to use the old oven but couldn't help her longing glances at the trendier side of cooking every once in a while.

"I would like to bake with you", Wang said, preparing some ingredients.

"I like baking", Marinette positively beamed.

They got started and Marinette was fascinated by the parts she didn't know how to do and was happy to show her skill during the parts that she did. They were kneading the dough when her uncle posed a question.

"Do you know why we bake?"

"Uuh", Marinette knew the answer that her grandfather gave. "To preserve the proud history and traditions of our ancestors?"

"That is a very good reason, yes. Many of the recipes we love are very, very old. But we also bake the give good food to the ones we love."

Marinette knew that. She felt the love in her grandfather's food. He cared for her and enjoyed baking. It just seemed at times that traditions took precedent over her. Throughout the process, Wang taught her little tips and even a few words of Chinese. Marinette had vague memories of her mother speaking it but only on the phone.

The finished product sat, steaming and appetizing on a tray before Marinette. She had made these, these barbecue pork buns.

"Ch...cha...siu bao", she sounded out the words. They felt weird in her mouth. And perhaps a bit dangerous. But she wanted to learn more. Wang handed one to her and she took a bite. The flavors had a bit of familiarity to them while also being brand new.

"Your name is Dupain. But it is also Cheng", Wang said, as if reminding her of something important. He wrapped some of the buns for her to take with her and she put them in her book bag. Marinette hurried to back to the library just in time to be picked up by Roland. Before leaving for home, he inspected her.

"What is that?", he pointed at her cheek.

Marinette swiped it and saw that it was flour. "Uh! It's uh! Dust! I um, I picked out a really old book to reference for my homework."

"And why do you smell like that?"

"I went for a walk for some fresh air, all the dust you know, and IIIIIIII stood in front of a Chinese restaurant? To rest?" Marinette fidgeted with her fingers, hoping he bought it.

"Hmph. Noodles and rice. All you need is bread. Let's go home. We'll have a nice baguette for dinner."

Marinette let out a sigh of relief. Her uncle would return to China in a month. Until then, she had to get enough time with him.


	3. Origins Pt. 1

"What are you doing?!", Roland demanded.

Marinette looked up from the bowl as her grandfather inspected the bag of flour she was using. He took it from her hands and adjusted his glasses.

"Rice flour? Where did you get this?"

"I uh, I saw it when I went grocery shopping yesterday. It seemed interesting?", Marinette said, unsure of herself and twiddling with her fingers. She had gone to see her uncle a couple of times every week for the past month. And she thought to try a few of the things she learned at home. Maybe her grandfather didn't care that much for non-traditional ingredients, but he wouldn't outright forbid them, would he?"

"We are making bread. Not rice! Throw it out and start the dough again."

"But, grandpa it's fine. Rice flour is just different. Can't we try something new?"

Even as she said it, Marinette knew it was a lost cause. Her grandfather said the same thing he did when Marinette wanted to wear her hair short, when she wanted to pierce her ears, when she wanted to hang out with a group of friends that included boys:

"You just need to do whatever I tell you."

They started over again and Marinette had learned her lesson. If that was how he reacted to just a foreign ingredient, there was no way he'd allow her to cook foreign meals.

Uncle Wang had to return to China at the end of his period at the hotel but he made sure Marinette had his number just in case she ever wanted to talk. He had opened Marinette's eyes to a side of herself that she had never known. When he left, she was anxious to know more. She didn't have the money to take cooking or language classes but a blessing came in the form of a smartphone.

Roland had finally decided that Marinette should have one of her own and had been prepared to get her one that was just a glorified walkie-talkie, texting and calling only. But the salesman had convinced him to buy into a smartphone with a line about being able to track the phone's location. Both of them got one on a deal and before handing it over, Roland told her the rules.

"No talking to boys. Or strangers. Do not hole yourself up in your room on it for hours. I can take it away if I think it is distracting you."

"Yes! Okay! Thank you grandpa!" Marinette threw her arms around him.

So far only Roland's number was in her contacts. But maybe that would change soon. She was too scared to put her uncle's in as well, lest her grandfather see it. When Marinette had a moment alone in her room, she explored her new phone. The first thing she did was download a language app. There were a ton of dialects for Chinese, but Mandarin seemed a rather popular one and her uncle spoke it, so that was the one she chose.

There was also an app for music pre-installed on her phone. When she opened it up, top artists were front and center. It was a far cry from the old radio her grandfather played in the evening. Marinette knew of the top songs from her classmates, but she never had a chance to listen to them in her own home until now. Keeping the volume low, she picked the newest song from Jagged Stone.

* * *

It was the first day of a new year and Marinette steeled her nerves for it. Could she possibly hope that Chloe would lay off her that year? Probably not. But maybe she could hope for a new friend. Just maybe. She rushed to school, having gotten up late. She was stopped at a crosswalk and jogged lightly in place. The bell would ring any moment.

The signal had turned red with only an old man halfway across. Marinette saw the car coming and dashed into the street, pulling him along to the sidewalk, tripping on the curb in the process.

"Thank you, miss", he said as he helped her to her feet.

"No problem", Marinette assured him. She brushed herself off and remembered she was in a hurry just as the signal changed. "Gotta go!"

In her haste, she missed the meaningful look from the man and was unaware of the new item in her bag.

Her small sliver of hope for this year to be different was dashed when Chloe demanded that Marinette switch to a different seat. Why did they always need to be in the same class?

"But this... this has always been", Marinette cursed how soft her voice sounded. She was used to Chloe by now, why couldn't she speak up to her?

"Buh buh buh but nothing Granny Dupain", Chloe mocked and pointed her towards another seat. Marinette gathered her things and moved. It was a name Chloe had come up with early in their relationship. As much as Marinette tried keeping up with the latest fashions, anything she brought home was inspected by her grandfather and now she saw no use in it. So now her closet consisted mostly of blouses and long skirts.

Marinette hesitated when another girl came up to them. She was new.

"Who made you queen of seats?"

"What are you going to do about it?", Chloe challenged.

"Wouldn't you like to know?" And even though she clearly had something in mind for Chloe, she focused on Marinette. "Come on." She pulled Marinette away and towards the seats across the room.

"I can't believe you were able to talk to her like that", Marinette said, in awe.

"You can't let people like that walk all over you. You've gotta stand up for yourself uh...", she paused, not knowing Marinette's name.

"Marinette! My name's Marinette!"

"I'm Alya. Nice to meet you."

Their teacher entered and introduced herself and began the lesson. This part was easy for Marinette. She didn't have to think-well, she did, but it was about simple stuff. She didn't have to pay any mind to Chloe or her lack of friends, or the secrets she kept from her grandfather. She didn't even think much of it when one of the other students got into it and one was sent to the principal's office.

It was school. It happened. Later on, the two were in the library and Marinette was tentatively considering Alya to be her friend.

"I could cut your hair for you. I give my sisters trims all the time", Alya said.

Marinette held her hair protectively, today worn in a thick braid over her shoulder. "I couldn't. I can just imagine my grandpa's face if I came home with short hair." As much as she wanted and as much as her long tresses got in the way.

Alya said nothing to that but got a look in her eyes when the school was rocked like an earthquake. There was a commotion and everyone gathered to see the news on the large screen in the middle of the library. It showed a giant rock monster stomping around. Everyone either ran or searched for cover in fear. All but Alya, who looked excited.

"I can't believe this! I've gotta see it for myself!", she exclaimed, running towards the doors.

Marinette's eyes widened. "Hey wait! Where are you going?!"

"Where there's a supervillain, a superhero is never far behind!" With that, Alya sped off.

Looking back at the screen, Marinette trembled a little at the monster terrorizing Paris. A superhero strong enough to fight something like that? Marinette found herself both scared and envious. Back home, Marinette tried to watched more of the broadcast on their antiquated television set before deciding to give it up and just watch on her phone in the solitude of her room.

Her grandfather had been out when she arrived but she knew he wouldn't be gone for long. The news didn't have much to say outside reporting the destruction of the beast. Marinette sighed, she really did have the worst luck. She put her phone down and that was when she noticed the box on her bed.

"What's this doing here?"

It hadn't been there when she entered. Marinette thought for a moment that it might be from her grandfather but a look at the design shoved that thought aside. She opened it and only caught a glimpse of earrings when she was blinded with a red flash.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't think I'll do a chapter for every single episode, some can just be glossed over I think, so I'll put it to a vote. Put in for your top episodes of seasons 1-2 and the most popular ones with get a chapter dedicated to them. I'll definitely do the ones that are plot relevant (ie Origins pt 2, Hero's Day, etc) but as for the rest, it's up to yall.


	4. Origins Pt. 2

When the flash subsided, Marinette blinked her eyes open in time to see a floating creature.

"A bug!? A mouse?! A bug-mouse?!", Marinette exclaimed, throwing her pillow at it. She almost called for her grandfather when she realized he wasn't home. It figures the rare moment that shut-in of a man went out she was attacked by a flying monster.

"Marinette, listen to me, I'm here to help you", the creature said.

"Who are you and how do you know my name?!" Marinette brandish the most dangerous weapon she owned, her sewing machine.

"My name is Tikki and I am a kwami. I can grant you superpowers to fight off that villain."

Marinette looked to the news broadcast still playing on her phone and the humongous stone monster. There was no way someone like her could fight that.

"I...I can't. You need to get someone else. There's other people out there who can do this. But I'm not...strong enough", Marinette said as her shoulders slumped over.

"Being a hero isn't just about being strong. It's about helping others and being resourceful. You become the person you want to be, Marinette."

"Be who I want to be?" Tikki's words of encouragement warmed Marinette up to the idea and she took the earrings in hand. She was worried about how they would go on, since she had never pierced her ears, but the moment she picked them up, they turned into clip-ons. She put them on her ears. Tikki explained her powers and abilities, as well as the fact that her partner should appear as well.

"A partner?"

"The owner of the Black Cat Miraculous. They're always side by side with the Ladybug", Tikki said.

"Like a friend?", Marinette asked and smiled when Tikki nodded. She would make another new friend today if all went right. Marinette tried not to let any thoughts of doubt creep in on her. She could do this.

"Tikki! Spots on!"

Marinette felt the magic surround her and when it faded, she looked down at her hands, covered in red with black spots. She felt on her head and smiled widely. Her long braid had been replaced by a pair of short ponytails on either side of her head. Marinette went over to her mirror and admired her new hairdo when she heard Roland returning.

"Marinette! Are you home?"

No way could she let her grandfather see her like this. Skintight suit and short hair? He'd flip so hard he might get a heart attack. Marinette opened her window and leapt out, using her yo-yo. Roland entered as she left.

"She must be at the school", he reasoned. He had seen news of the monster when he passed by an electronics store (infernal flat screens). His granddaughter had been raised right so if she wasn't home, she must be somewhere else safe. But just to be sure, he did check the app that allowed him to see her location. It said her phone was close and sure enough it was right on her bed.

Roland, not thinking much of his own blood leaving behind technology, simply shrugged it off. Of course she wouldn't bring it with her absolutely everywhere. And she didn't need the little trinket at school. He left her room and went into the kitchen to get started on some bread. A fresh loaf was always a tradition for important days like first days back at school.

Meanwhile, Marinette was flinging herself around the city in a manner that wasn't quite graceful. It was no wonder she ended up crashing into a boy. She would be cringing from her lack of experience around boys if she wasn't instead cringing at her clumsiness.

"Sorry! I'm a major klutz", she said when they got untangled.

"No problem. You must be the partner my kwami mentioned. The name's uh... Cat Noir. Yeah, Cat Noir", he repeated, as if pleased with his naming choice.

Marinette hadn't even thought about names. She had polka dots so maybe Spot? But she wasn't a dog. She was saved from naming herself when her yo-yo bonked Cat Noir on the head and she had to apologize again. He brushed it off and Marinette couldn't believe she was ruining her chances at a new friend. He took out his baton and made his way off again.

Marinette took a deep breath and tried again with her yo-yo. Flying through the air was a little fun. The wind blowing through her newly shortened locks and the freedom of it all. She just wished she had better control of where she landed. She got to the stadium where Cat Noir was already attacking the villain. From her high viewpoint, she could see his hits weren't doing any damage.

It was worse than that. The monster got bigger with each hit. Cat Noir was thrown into the air and Marinette used her yo-yo to catch, bringing him down a little more safely than he would have in a freefall as she landed right on the field.

"Thanks for the help", he said. "Normal punches aren't working on this guy."

"We need something stronger", Marinette tried to think of what could get through stone.

Cat Noir had already activated his power and before she could stop him, he tried it out on the goal post. He flexed his fingers and then ran towards the monster. When his power didn't work at the one touch and he was kicked away, Marinette gave a sigh.

"Didn't your kwami tell you about your powers?", she asked.

"Guess I was a little too excited", he said with a grin.

"We don't have to defeat him. We just need to destroy his akuma", Marinette said, looking all over the monster's body for an object, but they were completely bare. So it must have been hidden.

"There!", she pointed at its fist. "The akuma must be there. We've gotta get him to open up his hand."

"We're gonna need a miracle for that", Cat Noir said, being personally introduced to the hardness of that rock.

"We just need a little luck", Marinette winked at him before calling upon her Lucky Charm.

"Uh, what are you gonna do with that?", Cat Noir asked, pointing to the suit.

Marinette looked around for a solution. How could she use this to defeat the monster? That was when she saw Alya recording everything on her phone. Marinette remembered her trying to go after the fight but how could she be so reckless? She'd need to talk to her later but for now...

"Just trust me and go with it", Marinette said to her partner before flinging him right at the monster, getting him caught in its left hand. Marinette then threw herself at it, suit attached to a hose. When she was grabbed in the other hand and the akuma was dropped, Marinette called out Alya's name to turn the water on and the suit expanded, making Stoneheart's fist open.

Marinette dropped and was able to break the akumatized object. She took a deep breath when a black butterfly came from it. It hardly looked like evil incarnate, but there it was.

"No more evildoing for you, little akuma", she said before purifying it and releasing it.

Cat Noir was swooning before he even understood what he was doing. She had been given something from way out of left field and in barely a minute ha concoted an even more convoluted plan that had actually worked.

"This girl is crazy awesome."

"Good job partner", Marinette smiled over at Car Noir. "I couldn't have done it without you."

They pounded fists when his ring began to beep. He gave her a swift bow in farewell before taking off in order to keep his identity a secret. The monster turned back into Ivan and Marinette took a closer look at the object he had been holding. It had been a note from Kim, making fun of Ivan. She walked over to him and knelt down.

"You should never be afraid to express your true feelings", she said.

"But he's right. I am a coward", Ivan grumbled. "I'd probably just scare her away anyway." Ivan had already been rather self conscious about how big he was, but now everyone in town had seen him stomping around as a giant monster.

"You just need to be honest. And gentle", Marinette replied, perhaps projecting a bit herself. She always fantasized about a love confession coming in the form of soft words and gentle eyes.

Ivan looked unsure at first, but decided to give it a try. His reputation was already at its lowest, he figured. He had nothing much to lose if he confessed now. While they were talking, the police came onto the scene and Alya sprinted over, trying to get a closer look at the new hero.

"Just what happened here?", the chief officer asked. "Heroes in spandex and a rock monster? Do we even have a cell big enough to hold someone like that?"

"You won't need to, officer", Marinette said. "He was akumatized, but he's fine now."

"Akuma-what?"

"So he was transformed by something else?", Alya interjected, elbowing her way through.

"I uh...", Marinette was unsure of how much to say. She knew what had caused this. But not who.

"Hawkmoth", Ivan spoke up, holding his head. "He said his name was Hawkmoth."

"You can tell us more down at the station, young man", the officer said. "You too, little lady."

"The name's Ladybug", Marinette replied snappily. Her earrings beeped just in time. "And it'll have to wait until next time", she said before flinging away on her yo-yo.

Back at school, Alya was positively raving about the city's new heroes. She wasn't the only one. Everyone was practically abuzz about it. It was even on the news. Marinette couldn't help but beam at the attention, even though it wasn't really on her.

"I just wonder who she could really be under that mask", Alya said, giving Marinette a look.

"Superheroes have to keep their secrets", Marinette said while flipping her braid from her shoulder to her back. Going back to long hair had felt weird. But now she was torn on getting it cut. If her hair was short, people might begin to recognize her as Ladybug. She and Alya returned to the classroom just in time to see some guy messing around with their seats.

Any other day, Marinette might've shrunk and let him do as he pleased. But she just went toe to toe with a giant rock monster. She could handle a school bully.

"Hey! What're you doing?", she demanded.

He stammered an answer but her focus was taken by Chloe and Sabrina who were giggling from their seats. That figured. Of course anyone who messed with Marinette was a lackey of hers.

"You're friends with Chloe, right?" Marinette ignored any other answer he might have and instead covered the chewed up gum on her seat with a napkin. She'd do something more later. Class would start soon. The boy went to his seat with a defeated sigh.

"Where have I seen him before?", Marinette asked more to herself than anyone else. There was something oddly familiar about him.

"Check it out", Alya held out her phone.

Marinette's eyes widened. It was just her luck that the son of her favorite designer was friends with her worst tormentor. Maybe in another life, she and Adrien Agreste could have been close. Maybe even bond over their love for fashion. He was a model, so he probably knew more about the industry than she did. But Marinette wasn't that desperate for friends.

She ignored him the rest of the day which wasn't hard. Lots of people wanted the attention of the famous Gabriel Agreste's son on the first day of school.

They didn't come together again until the very end of that day. Marinette stood in the entrance of the school, wondering if it was worth it to get drenched in the rain on her way home. Her grandfather would surely scold her for returning a mess and not having an umbrella. Adrien tried to wave at her and she turned her nose up at him.

"I just wanted to say I'm sorry. I was trying to remove the gum", he said as he opened up his umbrella.

Marinette searched him for deceit but only saw sincerity.

"I've never gone to a real school before", Adrien continued. "But I wanted to make real friends. And make memories I can't being homeschooled."

He stretched his arm out, holding the umbrella out to her. Marinette hesitated, but a look into his eyes and she could see he was genuine. He wasn't like Chloe. He wasn't like anyone she had ever met before. She reached out, flinching a little when their fingers brushed in the transfer. Marinette felt her cheeks get warm and her heart pound.

And then the umbrella snapped closed around her.

She heard Adrien's laugh, gentle and not really directed at her, but at the unexpectedness of it. It was beautiful, if a bit restrained. She peeked out from under the brim and let out a few giggles in return.

"See you tomorrow", he said, walking over to the car waiting for him.

"Seeyammrow-I mean tomorrow! See ya!" Marinette realized her other hand was waving frantically and stopped it suddenly. "What's going on with me?"

"I think I can guess", Tikki said cheekily.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next time: Mr. Pigeon!


	5. Evillustrator

For Marinette, things were going rather well this school year. She had a new friend in Alya, a new partner in Cat Noir, and her studies didn't suffer too much from her crimefighting. And somehow she was able to keep it all under wraps from her grandfather. All except the existence of Alya who she had tried introducing to her grandfather just a few days after the start of school.

He allowed the new girl into their home but after Alya left he made it clear that she wasn't the kind of friend Marinette should be having.

"Her ideas are too progressive", he had said, having a bitter taste in his mouth about a conversation they had about French colonization. "And what sort of parent allows a child to color her hair like that? It's outlandish."

The only one of Marinette's classmates she ever remembered him approving of was Rose, who was sweet, pretty, and feminine. But even she lost points when her already short hair got cut shorter. Her grandfather was the sole reason she rarely had friends over and hardly visited their own houses. And it was why she really wanted to get this physics project done and out of the way in the library.

But just her luck, she was stuck with Chloe and Sabrina. And the two of them were loudly arguing right over her head thanks to her big mouth. Marinette really did think Sabrina should stand up to Chloe, but couldn't they just finish their homework first? Was cooperation really so hard. Marinette nearly lost it when Chloe waved around a hat to entice Sabrina.

"You're not really bribing her with a beret, are you?" Marinette could design and produce all the hats Sabrina wanted if it meant they could get done before she had to get home.

But any thought to complete their project was thrown out the window the moment Chloe was pelted with berets and all manner of strange objects. Marinette looked around to see the villain at work and went behind a shelf to transform.

She tried subduing the Evillustrator who kept her busy with his drawings when Cat Noir arrived on the scene.

"That guy looks pretty sketchy!"

Any other time, Marinette might've laughed at the wordplay, but it wasn't so funny when she was riding a giant hairdryer. When she and Cat Noir ended up trapped, it allowed the villain to escape.

"What do you think he was after?", Cat Noir asked.

"No clue", Ladybug said. Through previous skirmishes, they were able to deduce that Hawkmoth was a supervillain who wanted their miraculous for some reason. His minions usually caused a bit of damage before demanding that Ladybug and Cat Noir hand over their's. But this villain had just caused a ruckus in the library and vanished.

"You think he's setting up a trap?", Ladybug tried reasoning why they'd be left alone.

Cat Noir looked down at the library's first floor where Chloe was cowering under a table, waiting for the coast to be clear. Which it had been for a few moments.

"I think our track record says we should ask Miss Bourgeois some questions", he said.

Later, in Chloe's suite at her father's hotel, she adamantly denied any and all accusations that this had anything to do with her. If there was one thing Marinette hadn't expected from becoming a superhero, it was how Chloe clung to Ladybug as a fan. She spent the whole interrogation pushing Chloe away.

"Looks like someone's got a super fan", Cat Noir grinned at Ladybug while Chloe looked through her selfies.

Ladybug caught sight of a drawing and saw that it was earlier in class. The one Nathaniel had drawn of her with his hero persona that Chloe had teased him about. Marinette had never really given the boy a second glance but the idea that he might have feelings for her...she wasn't entirely sure what to make of it. But she did know what to make of the fact that Chloe had seen fit to not only tease the boy about it but draw all over her face.

"I'm out of here", she said, stomping over to the window.

Surprised, Cat Noir followed after her. "What? You're just leaving her when Hawkmoth is after her?"

"If either Hakwmoth or his minion wanted Chloe, they'd be here. If you're so worried, you can guard her. Let me know how it goes." With that, Ladybug swung away. Almost instantly, she regretted her words to Cat Noir. She had meant them, but she hadn't intended to sound so cross with him. It wasn't his fault the way Chloe treated her civilian self.

When she got home and de-transformed, she collapsed onto her bed. Tikki floated next to her head.

"Aren't you forgetting something?"

Marinette sat up quickly. "Sabrina! The project!" And sure enough, when she checked her phone, Sabrina was all over her call and text history. From her perspective, Marinette had just disappeared after an akuma attack.

Before she could lament her whole life, her window disappeared. Or, more accurately, had been erased. In shock, Marinette pressed herself to her bedroom door only for the Evillustrator to come through the whole in her window. Marinette's head was buzzing for so many reasons she couldn't think straight. There was a boy in her room! Who was also a villain. And she was Ladybug! But Nathaniel was a little charming in his own way.

Either way, villain or hero, crush or not, if Roland heard a boy in her room, he'd find some way to turn it around on Marinette, which meant getting him out quickly.

"I...I don't mind seeing you tonight", Marinette said, her voice small as she avoided eye contact. It would only be the two of them. So could this count as a date? She quickly shook her head. At least he wasn't after Chloe anymore. Marinette transformed into Ladybug so she could contact Cat Noir and call him away from Chloe. She apologized for her previous behavior and sent a picture of herself to him before de-transforming again.

Marinette put a cookie in her purse for Tikki just as the bell on the gate was rung. Just as Marinette was freaking over the idea of her grandfather meeting Cat Noir (and just how was she supposed to explain away the fact that she was going out that night?) she heard Sabrina's voice instead.

"Is Marinette there? We're supposed to be doing a project together."

"What is this about a project?! I have never heard of it before today!", Roland shouted from his spot in his living room, allowing his voice to carry from inside to outside at the gate through the gate-phone.

"We were assigned the work today, grandpa", Marinette said, coming out of her room to placate him. "Uh, it'll probably take a long time, so I'll be at the library until closing. Bye!"

"You will be home by eight o'clock tonight", Roland ordered.

"Y-yes, grandpa. At 8!" Marinette rushed out to meet Sabrina at the gate. "I'm so sorry Sabrina. I saw your messages and I meant to call you back but I-"

"Let me guess? You were busy?", Sabrina said, her voice snippy and annoyed. "You know, Chloe always uses that excuse too."

"I...", Marinette didn't have a response to that. She wasn't anything like Chloe, was she? No, she wasn't. Unlike Chloe, Marinette actually had other things that needed her attention.

"Just forget it!", Sabrina snapped. "And to think I thought we could be bffs."

Now that one stung. Marinette hadn't given much thought to being Sabrina's friend, what with her being Chloe's lackey. But she never considered someone might not want to be her friend because of the way she treated them. Maybe years of being shunned by her classmates had only a little to do with her grandfather's rules. Maybe the problem was her. Marinette's eyes pricked with tears as Sabrina walked off and was almost immediately replaced with Cat Noir.

"Wow, for a second I thought I was gonna have to save you from that girl's claws. Get it...?" He trailed off from his joke when he saw the wetness in Marinette's eyes that she was hastily trying to wipe away.

"Sorry. Ladybug already told me that you need my help with the villain tonight", she said, trying to compose herself. "I'm just...nervous. I've never worked with a superhero before. And I think I might have royally screwed up with a potential friend."

Cat Noir smiled gently at her and gave her a bow. "Cat Noir, at your service. Don't worry about a thing. Just follow my lead and it'll be alright."

"You're pretty confident about it", Marinette said, feeling a tad jealous and wishing she hadn't shown this side of her civilian self to him.

"You've gotta be when you save Paris every day", he winked. "See you tonight!"

* * *

So the Evillustrator, or rather Nathaniel, hadn't been what Marinette expected. Usually when akumatized, people become more aggressive and their judgement was clouded with a need for revenge. But he was different from what they faced so far. He actually seemed much like himself as he took Marinette out on a boat ride.

"Um, if you've liked me this whole time, why didn't you ever say anything?", she asked.

"How could I? You're unattainable, like a princess", he answered. "I could never get you to look at me. But now, I can do things for you."

Marinette tried not to grimace at being called a princess. She'd been referred to as such a few times before and it was always in regard to how she hardly hung out with people outside of school. Which wasn't her fault. But she couldn't help but be enchanted with the way this boy drew things for her and they came to life. It was magical when it wasn't being used for evil.

But she had to get the stylus away from him for the plan to work. So she kept talking to him and got to know a little about the boy that had been watching her from the back of the class.

"You know, I draw a little myself", she said, grabbing the tip of his stylus, not taking it away but stopping him from moving it. "Maybe I could...?"

He must have seen something because he tried taking back control over it but Marinette couldn't let that happen. She took it from him completely and jumped to her feet just in time for Cat Noir to hold him back with his baton.

"I can't believe I was tricked! How could you ever care about me?"

"That's not true!", Marinette shouted. "I...I think you're nice and-"

"Nice enough to be taken advantage of", he said before kicking the baton away from himself. The other end knocked the stylus out of Marinette's hand and back into the Evillustrator's. Cat Noir tried attacking but was trapped in a box with Marinette for his troubles.

"Since you broke your promise, it's okay to break mine", Evillustrator said before taking off, presumably to go after Chloe.

Cat Noir growled as he tried figuring out a way to get out of their cage. He had wanted to show how cool he could be to Marinette and make her feel part of a successful operation. But this was where Ladybug usually came up with a good idea. And he wasn't so good with thinking on his feet.

"Use your baton here", Marinette said, pointing to the boat's deck.

He got the idea and with Marinette's arms around his shoulders, extended his baton to lift them, along with the box, off the boat and onto the nearby bridge.

"You know that's the kind of idea my Lady would have come up with. Maybe you've got a bit of heroism in you too." Cat Noir thanked her before running towards the hotel.

Marinette let out a sigh. Maybe she'd lost face with Nathaniel, but at least Cat Noir thought she was alright. After transforming for what must be the fifth time that day, she followed after him.

Dispatching the Evillustrator wasn't easy, but Marinette was glad to put that night behind her as she headed into school the next day. Alya was interviewing Chloe as the victim of the attack but her story both made no sense and painted Ladybug and Cat Noir as rather bumbling. Marinette couldn't help but giggle to herself. Her plans to use the Lucky Charm were the kind of story no one would believe if they didn't see it in action.

The solution to a villain whose drawings came to life? A rubber bouncy ball.

Ready to head to class, she closed her locker only to reveal Adrien had been waiting right on the other side of it. Marinette let out a squawk of surprise and hoped it wasn't as loud as it sounded.

"So, I heard you got to hang around Cat Noir last night", he said, leaning against the adjoining locker. "How was it?"

"It was...", Marinette struggled to answer. She knew how she felt about Cat Noir as Ladybug. But what was her impression of him as a non-hero from that time? "He was really sweet and friendly. But his jokes weren't what I call funny."

"What? Cat puns don't tickle your fancy?", Adrien asked, raising a brow.

"I prefer knock-knock jokes myself", Marinette said.

Adrien grinned. "Good to know the princess has standards."

Marinette's bright demeanor dropped at the nickname. "Please don't call me that."

"I'm sorry", Adrien immediately apologized. "I heard the others calling you that and I thought it was fitting. You're elegant and reserved."

Marinette blushed a little but even if Adrien only had positive things to say about it, she still abhorred the name. "Just, anything other than that."

"Then how about Lady Marinette? I can think of someone awesome people might associate that title with", Adrien suggested. Marinette's only response was to blush harder and smile bashfully and Adrien inwardly celebrated at getting a good reaction from her.


	6. Mr. Pigeon

Marinette entered her home with a loud sigh and closed the door behind her.

"What are you making that noise for?"

"Sorry, Grandpa. I'm just tired", Marinette said.

Roland put his fists on his hips. "What do you have to be tired from. You go to school. You come here. That is all."

Marinette still hadn't told her grandfather that she had been elected the class representative, which meant she had to go in early some mornings to attend meetings. It was hard enough waking up for school during normal hours. It was hard work, but Marinette had felt like she was floating when she had been elected. Adrien had even voted for her!

Her cheeks warmed at the memory. Marinette's feelings for him had burgeoned into a crush. Her feelings had cooled just a bit, as she ended up getting a little crush on any guy who was nice to her. Marinette had fantasized about marrying their flour deliveryman for the longest time. And since the first day of school, she'd not only had a crush on Adrien, but Nathaniel, Nino, and Max.

Just about all had faded but she still blushed at times. Something was different about Adrien though. They were friends now but there was something about the way he looked at her and said her name that made it impossible not to melt.

She found herself thinking of that feeling at she knitted in her chair. listening to the radio while Roland prepared some dough. Knitting was an approved activity. The radio reported the news of the day and turned to entertainment.

"Gabriel Agreste's fashion show is approaching and as a special even, he'll be holding a contest open to young designers."

Marinette tried not to perk up too much to that. From a young age, Marinette loved fashion. When she had showed her parents her childish doodles of fancy dresses, they had praised her. The first time she tried showing her grandfather, he had denounced fashion. Marinette learned how to sew and knit from the old women her grandfather was acquainted with.

"Now this is a skill worth having", he had said the first time she made a pair of mittens.

But the outlandish and impractical fashions you found on the runway had no place in the Dupain home. It was hard not to see the irony in the fact that she paraded around in spandex with loud colors.

* * *

"You're sure to win, Marinette", Alya had told her the next day.

They had just announced the contest in class, giving one little detail that had Marinette currently spiraling. She flipped through her design book. Gabriel Agreste wanted a derby hat. A derby hat!

"Alya, how can I have so many designs and not a single derby hat?" Marinette bowed her head over the book currently sitting in her lap as the two of them sat on a bench in the school. Her long hair formed a curtain over her shoulders.

"Wow, did you make these designs?", Adrien asked as he looked over Marinette's shoulder.

Marinette practically froze at the sound of his voice coming from beside her. Otherwise she would have snapped her book shut and bolted out of there. Thankfully, Alya was there to fill in the blank.

"Yeah, she did. Aren't they amazing?"

"They really are", Adrien agreed. "If you enter with something like this, I wouldn't mind modeling it."

"Oh!" Marinette finally spoke up. She had nearly forgotten that Adrien would be wearing the hat. "I need to get to designing. I won't let you down Adrien", she smiled.

"You come up with an idea?", Alya asked.

"Not yet. I need to go out and find some inspiration." Marinette took out a hair tie and put her hair up in a ponytail before going off in search of a muse. In her newfound determination, she missed both Adrien's wistful eyes as she left and Chloe's scornful glare.

* * *

A pigeon akuma?! Okay, Hawkmoth had run out of ideas already. And what were the odds that a bird themed villain would attack when she got the inspiration for a bird themed hat. And that her partner would be allergic to said birds. It was rather uncanny. Luckily, they were able to dispatch Mr. Pigeon without Cat Noir sneezing himself to death.

And she finished the hat just in time to present it at the school, although she had to run a fair bit and that was not easy in a long skirt. But she was here! And she was ready!

"Great hat, girl", Alya praised. "Wait...uh, I've seen this before", she said as she pointed to Chloe's hat.

It was identical to Marinette's. And perhaps in another situation, she would have despaired at her horrible luck. But Marinette remained calm. She had an ace up her sleeve. Gabriel Agreste, in tablet form, inspected and judged each entry. The tablet carried by a woman who must be his secretary, escorted by Adrien. He looked to Chloe's hat as she introduced herself.

Marinette found it weird to do so when clearly Mr. Agreste must know her from being Adrien's childhood friend. But she chalked it up to her being unable to brag about her status to anyone. He was shown Marinette's hat next and was obviously confused, demanding to see Chloe's hat again.

"Is this some kind of a joke?"

Chloe, prepared as ever with her usual fallback, resorted to crocodile tears. "It's not fair! Marinette stole my design!"

"If you'll excuse me, Mr. Agreste", Marinette said, voice firm but quiet. She may be confident in her work, but it was still rather intimidating to be before someone she admired. "I can prove this is my original design."

"Go on", Gabriel said when the tablet was turned back to her.

"Everything on my hat is handmade. And there's a hidden secret only the original creator would know about." Marinette turned the hat upside down to reveal her signature in the embroidery around the hat.

No one was more surprised about this fact than Chloe, who knocked over her copy in surprise, revealing that her's too had Marinette's name. She ran away in shame, followed by Sabrina.

Gabriel paid her no mind. "Congratulations Miss..."

"..."

"Marinette", Adrien answered when she was once again frozen when being recognized for her talents.

"Miss Marinette", Gabriel finished. "You've won. My son will wear this hat at our next show. And you'll be seated in the front row with your friends and family."

"Family...?", Marinette echoed. How was she going to tell her grandfather about this? Could she even tell him?

"Marinette? You okay?", Adrien asked, noticing that she had frozen again.

"Huh? Oh! Yeah, definitely! Um, thank you Mr. Agreste. I appreciate this opportunity. I've gotta get home now." She grabbed her hat and put it back in its box before dashing home. This had taken place after school and Roland would be wondering where she was by now.

Done with the judging, Gabriel left with his secretary while Adrien had a few minutes before he had to get to his fencing lesson. He considered going after Chloe to have a talk with her about her dishonesty but also wanted to talk with Alya about Marinette. He decide to simply text Chloe, saying they needed to talk, while going after Alya.

"Hey, what was with Marinette earlier?", he asked when he caught her by the lockers. "She treated the word family like, well like the actual 'f' word."

"I'm not surprised. Marinette was raised by her grandfather. And from what I can tell, he's not the kind to be super thrilled about this kind of thing", Alya said.

"What do you mean?"

"He's kinda like your old man, always trying to keep Marinette locked away. I don't know what your father's reasons are, but Mr. Dupain is like, uber traditional. Which, after meeting him for myself, I'm starting to think might be harmful for Marinette's confidence."

Alya didn't like talking bad about her friend's family to someone else, but it was true. And she needed a second opinion. Maybe Adrien wasn't the best second opinion. But he was someone at least.

"You think she might be in trouble?", Adrien asked, fidgeting with his ring.

"I'm saying a guy whose stuck in the past might have some problematic ideals that don't mesh well with his mixed race granddaughter in the modern world."

"Marinette's mixed?"

"Yeah", Alya said as if it was obvious, then she caught herself. "Actually, I guess it is hard to tell with those blue eyes and all. I thought she was white when I first met her. But yeah, she's Chinese on her mom's side."

Adrien knew he felt a bit of a kindred spirit with Marinette. She usually had to either bail or outright decline their friend's invitations for outings almost as often as he did. But to know it was because of an overbearing patriarch...

* * *

"Anything good happen today?", Ladybug asked when Cat Noir landed on the building next to her, already grinning. His teeth glinted in the city's night lights.

"A few good, a few bad. I was just thinking of what an incredible kind of friend I have in my civilian life."

Ladybug wanted to know more about this friend of his but she was torn between wanting to keep their identities secret and wanting to be closer with him. She also couldn't help the tiny twinge of jealousy. Who was this person that could captivate him so.

"She's not quite as amazing as you, My Lady", Cat Noir smirked. "But she's awfully close. Actually, she kinda reminds me of you sometimes."

"If it weren't for obvious reasons, I'd ask you to introduce us", Ladybug smiled before swinging off to start their patrolling.

Cat Noir smiled in return and watched her fly through the air with her yo-yo for a moment before following after her. "Maybe one day."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> alright, so i've basically decided that the lovesquare won't be as clear cut in this one Marinette wants to be friends with both Adrien and Cat Noir but also can't help looking at them in a different way sometimes. while Adrien is still in love with Ladybug, but also might be feeling some things for Marinette.


	7. Copycat [REDACTED]

Alya still found herself in awe at the antique feel of Marinette's home. Only in her room, did a bit of modernization shine through. And it was a dim light at that. Currently, the two were in her room, studying.

"So when are you gonna ask Adrien out?"

Marinette fumbled with her pencil but was luckily able to catch it before it felt to the floor, surprised by the sudden question.

"W-what? Why would you say that?"

"Just, you seem to really vibe with him. And he's cute, in a rich, daddy's boy kind of way, which is saying something."

"Well, even if I asked him out, he probably wouldn't be able to because of that father of his", Marinette said. "And I wouldn't either. My grandpa said 'no boys until I'm married'."

"He can't stop you from dating", Alya said.

"You haven't seen him whenever the word 'boy' is mentioned in front of me", Marinette sighed.

"He must've blown a fuse with that whole Evillustrator deal", Alya grinned but Marinette quickly shushed her.

"He doesn't know anything about that!", she whispered harshly. And never would. If he had heard that she willingly went out on a boat ride with a boy villain who had a crush on her, and another boy clad in leather tailing them all the while, he might actually put a chastity belt on her.

"Whatever, so if not Adrien, maybe Cat Noir?"

Marinette paused at that. Cat Noir had in fact, openly flirted with her from time to time. But when she had told him she just wanted to be friends, huh? Marinette tried racking her brain for a certain memory. She had never explicitly told Cat Noir that she only wanted to be friends! She had said things in a similar vein...

_'You're the best partner this bug could ask for!'_

_'What are friends for?'_

_'I really value our friendship.'_

"Oh my gosh. I never told him!"

"Told who what?", Alya asked.

"Um, my grandpa that I...became class president! Yeah! Even he would have to be impressed by that", Marinette said quickly as a cover.

Then Alya's alarm rung on her phone. "They're unveiling the Ladybug and Cat Noir statues today! I totally forgot!"

Marinette let out a squeak. She had forgotten as well. Alya packed her things and gave a fast goodbye before bounding out of the room and to her destination. As soon as she left, Marinette transformed and made her way to the park.

Cat Noir was already there, waving to the crowd. He brightened when he saw his lady swooping in. Ladybug waved to the crowd first before looking up at the statue. The mayor said a few words, but they didn't reach her ears. _This_ was her. A shining beacon of heroism. A symbol to the people. Someone who kept them safe and gave them hope.

It was a far cry from the way she was outside of the suit. When the mayor finished his speech, he passed it over to the two heroes. Ladybug wasn't entirely sure what to say, so she just spoke from the heart.

"Thank you to everyone, especially the talented artist behind this work", she said, giving the young man a smile. "We may protect Paris, but it's nothing without citizens like you to protect."

The crowd cheered and as their applause died down, a reporter sounded from the audience. "Any words from you, Cat Noir?!"

"I think My Lady said it all. We're here for Parisians and you can always count on us." He finished with a wink, drawing more than one scream from the crowd. After that, some people came up with autographs and pictures with both of them. And anyone who knew what to look for could tell that one half of the pair was very used to being photographed while the other half seemed less experienced.

Soon, the crowd began to disperse and the sculptor approached Ladybug, practically glowing from being in her presence and still riding the high from being praised by her.

"You really are incredible, Ladybug. I've admired you since I first saw you", he started gushing as she sighed his picture.

Neither of them saw the put out expression on Cat Noir's face. Ladybug thanked him again and shook his hand. She stared up in awe at the statue, still in disbelief of all she'd done as Ladybug. Then it brought to mind her powerlessness as Marinette.

"Penny for your thoughts, My Lady?", Cat Noir prodded when he saw her smile drop.

"It's just...I do so much good as a superhero. It makes me wish I had powers and could help people without being Ladybug."

Cat Noir's eyes went up to the statue, then back to his lady. He smiled, mind immediately bringing up a friend of his. "True heroes have a way of showing themselves, even when they don't have powers. I'm sure you help people in your day to day life to. You just don't realize it."

Ladybug smiled and Cat noir returned it with his own, feeling like he was floating whenever she looked at him like that. It was then that Ladybug remembered something she had to do. Before it was too late.

"Do you have time to talk right now?", she asked.

"Uh, actually, I have a prior engagement", Cat Noir said. "But, tonight?"

"Tonight", Ladybug nodded.

They both took off, Cat Noir turning back into Adrien and returning to fencing, Ladybug turning back into Marinette and finishing up her homework. Later that night, they met up on a rooftop, hidden under cover of night, him more so than her with his all black attire.

"So what's got you cat-calling me late at night~?", he grinned.

"I wanted to talk to you about us", she said, inwardly grimacing when his grin widened into a full smile.

"Us?", he asked hopefully.

"Yes." Ladybug steeled her nerves with a heavy sigh. "I just wanted to clear the air with you. You're very important to me as a friend, Cat Noir. But that's all I can give you is my friendship."

His smile dropped and his ears drooped. "Is there...someone else?"

Her thoughts drifted to Adrien, but that was too complicated to think about. "That's not important. What I need to know from you is, if my friendship is enough for you. Because otherwise...", she felt her chest tighten. "We'll just be two people who work together."

Cat Noir was heartbroken. He had really grown fond of this girl. And he had thought that with time, the two of them would truly fall in love. What could be more romantic than two heroes in love? But if Ladybug didn't see him that way, then there was no hope for that route. His lips quirked up into a sad smile.

"You say your friendship is all you can give? I'd say that's the greatest gift I could receive."

Ladybug's eyes widened. "Really?"

"Yeah, don't cheap out on me come Christmas though, kay?", he winked.

She giggled, absolutely elated that she hadn't lost a friend. In time, she would need to sort out her feelings for Adrien, but she decided to take joy in the now. Tomorrow was another day after all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next time: Uh, Gamer probably


	8. Gamer [REDACTED]

"Okay, okay, if I absolutely had to choose, I'd date the moon", Marinette said. "The sun has woken me up too many times to be on my good side."

Alya laughed at her friend's response. "I hear that. I'm more of a night owl myself."

"My turn! Would you rather..."

Marinette's train of thought was cut off when they heard cheering as they rounded the corner, nearing the library. They went inside to see some of their classmates playing a video game on the big screen that was usually tuned to news or school announcements.

"What are they doing?", Marinette asked.

Alya nudged her playfully. "Don't tell me you don't know what a video game is?"

"I-I know!" Marinette blushed.

She wasn't that sheltered. She hadn't played games that often, only getting to do so whenever she went over to a friend's house, which was rare itself. Marinette recognized the game they were playing. It was the one everyone was talking about lately. And Max and Adrien were playing. When Adrien won, Max looked disappointed but then shook Adrien's hand.

"Since when are video games allowed in the library anyway?", Alya asked.

"Since Max got to represent our school at the Mecha Strike tournament", Kim answered for her. "And since Adrien's the only one to beat him, they'll be working as partners."

"Partners in a tournament? That's amazing, isn't it?", Marinette said, certainly impressed but unsure.

"Incredibly amazing!", Kim exclaimed before going to congratulate Max.

"Video games, good grades, fashion model. I'm starting to wonder if there's anything Sunshine Boy can't do", Alya mused.

"Is someone starting to get a crush?", Marinette teased.

Alya giggled. "As if! I need someone who can handle me. You notice Adrien always runs off when there's an akuma? I'd prefer someone who runs towards danger."

Marinette rolled her eyes. "Like Cat Noir?" Her partner had a penchant for running headfirst into things. And then getting smacked away for it. She wondered why he always leaped before he looked.

"What about Cat Noir?", Adrien asked, coming up to them.

"Just that he might be a good boyfriend for Alya", Marinette said.

Alya blushed at it being put that way. "Hey! You're the one who brought up his name. I just said he might be the kind of guy for me. But now that I think about it, I much prefer heroic, level-headed ladies."

Now it was Marinette's turn to blush. Did Alya just imply she might be into girls? And Ladybug no less? There was too much for her to process within that so Marinette pushed it down and instead turned her attention to Adrien.

"So, you're really good at that game, huh? Do you play it a lot?"

"All the time. When your father coops you up all the time video games fill the void of human interaction", Adrien said, half-jokingly.

Marinette did giggle at that, but then Alya got a look in her eye.

"You know, Marinette doesn't play a lot. Maybe you can give her some pointers. Say, at your place?"

"Alya! No! You know my grandpa. He'd never allow that!"

Before Marinette had spoke up, Adrien had been about to say a similar thing about his own father. But what she said reminded him of his previous conversation with Alya. If her grandfather was truly like that, then Adrien would probably never see the inside of Marinette's home. But he could show her his. His father didn't mind if he had girls over, so long as they were well behaved.

"I'll cover for you", Alya said. "We can say you're studying, or over at Rose's."

"I'd be glad to have you over Marinette. Playing games is always better with another person", Adrien smiled.

Marinette weighed her options. With this, she could become closer to one of her new friends. And she'd get to do something she normally wasn't exposed to. And so long as their cover worked, her grandfather would never know.

"Um, okay. Let's do it!"

* * *

"This is my friend, Marinette. She's going to help me train for the gaming competition", Adrien said, first to his bodyguard when they got to the car, then to the secretary who met them at the door. The bodyguard had accepted rather easily while the secretary gave Marinette a once-over.

"Your father has approved your entry to the tournament but you never mentioned-"

"It wouldn't be good for father to say I can do something and then for me to lose, would it?", Adrien tried, looking very much like a child asking his mother now for permission.

"Very well. But remember that you still have Chinese and fencing today."

"Got it." Adrien led Marinette to his room, the secretary following a few steps behind. She watched them settle in front of Adrien's computer monitors before leaving, keeping the door open.

"Nathalie works for my father, so she can be a little, strict sometimes too."

Marinette would have used the word 'scary' instead. The few times she had seen the woman in person, she had seemed like a steel wall. And she was stiff as a board knowing that Adrien's father was in the same building as her. The man had an imposing presence, even through screens. Coming into the grand house, where a large portrait of the father and son greeted you, Marinette felt like she could be watched from anywhere.

The entire house felt cold. It was only when they got to Adrien's room that she felt the semblance of warmth. It was especially evident in the picture used as a screensaver. It was a huge contrast to the gloomy one of Adrien and Gabriel.

"Who is this with you?", she asked.

"That's my mother."

"She's very beautiful", Marinette smiled. It was clear where Adrien got his eyes and smile from.

"Thank you. She would've like you", Adrien said before starting the game and handing Marinette her controller. Marinette didn't ask what he meant by that, fearing it might be a sensitive issue. But she could guess that his mother was no long in the picture. Whether that was by divorce or something worse, she didn't know. They started playing and Marinette knew the basic mechanics.

They both smiled as they played, having fun, while Adrien gave her a few tips. Things like, 'this character has a secret power up' or 'you can win against this one if you combo at the right time'. After an hour of playing, Marinette ended up beating Adrien a few times.

"Yes!", she shouted after a particularly difficult bout, only to cover her mouth with her hand. "Sorry", she squeaked in a quiet voice.

Adrien just smiled warmly at her. It had been some time since anyone had been that excited in this house. And it was Marinette to boot. She was one of the more reserved members of their class.

"You're a quick learner", he said, a bit in awe. "If my opponents are half as good as you, I'll need all the luck I can get."

"Oh, I have something for that", Marinette realized, reaching into her purse. She pulled out a beaded string proudly. "It's my lucky charm. You can have it. I think I have all the luck I need right now." What with her being a ladybug and all now.

"Are you sure? It looks really special", Adrien said.

"Of course I'm sure." Marinette took Adrien's hand and placed the charm in his palm. She had no way of knowing this, but ever since becoming the personification of bad luck, Adrien figured he should use any good fortune that came upon him.

"Thank you Marinette. With this, I can't lose."

Just as they geared up for another round, Nathalie came in to collect Adrien for his fencing session, which meant Marinette had to go. She was disappointed that their fun was cut short, but glad for the time they got.

"I'll see you at school Adrien."

"We can give you a ride home, if you'd like", he offered.

"No, it's fine", she replied quickly. If her grandfather saw, she'd have to lie right to his face about being out with a boy. And if he happened to see Adrien, he would assume the worst, no matter what the truth was.

"Okay then. See you at school."

Marinette left his house, feeling lighter than air. Alya had texted her about the cover story to go with so they wouldn't be caught in a lie. Just as she was checking her messages on the bus ride home, she got a notification. Marinette couldn't help but get a little giddy every time she was reminded of the little piece of modern technology within her hands.

It was an email from her Uncle Wang. She read through it and a wide smile grew on her face. He was coming to Paris for a visit!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next time: Mari gets cookin'!


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Anyone else completely wrecked by the Chat Blanc episode and in no way prepared for Felix?

Rose hummed a little tune to herself as she walked up to the large gate. She rang the bell and was answered by a familiar and gruff voice.

"What do you want?"

"It's Rose, Mr. Dupain. I'm here to pick up Marinette!"

"What for?", Roland asked in a terse voice.

"I told you why", Marinette said as she put her purse strap over her shoulder. "Rose and I are going to bake some cookies."

"You can do that here", he crossed his arms.

"Yeah, well, she wants to make the cookies for her friend, who is visiting and if we bake them there, the kitchen will smell all nice and homey", Marinette refused to meet her grandfather's eyes as she said this.

Roland looked at her as if discerning her words. "Be home in time for dinner", he said. "And I will be calling the Lavillant household to make sure you are there."

"Okay! Thank you grandpa." Marinette gave him a kiss on the cheek before going out and meeting Rose at the gate. The two girls smiled at each other. Marinette wished her grandfather was more accepting of other people. She saw nothing wrong with Alya's opinionated personality, Mylene's activism, or Juleka's...well, her whole look to be honest.

But just one of them was too much for Roland. Marinette could never have them all over at once. Especially not cooking the food she truly wanted to make. Her Uncle Wang would be in town. And Marinette wanted to show him all that she had learned. She never risked cooking Chinese food at home. Marinette still has memories of the time she suggested takeout for dinner.

So whenever she could, she went to Rose's to try out new recipes. It was usually a bit of an operation. Going to a specific grocery to get the more exotic ingredients, going to Rose's to cook, then changing her clothes, cooking, eating, and finally changing back and giving herself enough time so that the smell didn't cling to her. Roland may focus on bread, but he was a well versed cook in other areas as well.

He couldn't differentiate between the scent of certain spices that might be more at home with Chinese cooking than French, but he could tell when Marinette came home smelling different than usual. And she couldn't keep using the excuse that she'd walked by a restaurant.

Marinette still left with a change of clothes to be on the safe side. But this time, Alya had bought the ingredients and would be bringing them over to Rose's.

"I can't wait to get cooking!", Rose exclaimed as they started to her house. "Oh, but what exactly are we making again?"

"Something that should be easy, so long as he follow all of the steps!"

* * *

While Marinette got her hands dirty in the kitchen, Adrien kept his hands clean, far from his kitchen, and instead in his bedroom. He was doing some studying with Chloe. Or rather, he was supposed to be. It was hard when Chloe kept commenting on something that came up on her scroll through instagram.

"Chloe, why'd you come over to do homework if you were just going to be on your phone the whole time?", Adrien asked.

"You know you love hanging out with me whenever you want", she winked. "It doesn't matter what we do."

He let out a sigh. That had been true in the past. But now he wasn't so sure. Thankfully Chloe didn't ask him to do her work, but he just knew she was getting Sabrina to do it. Adrien didn't like confrontation, but now was as good a time as any, since he had Chloe alone.

"Chloe, you know you're my oldest friend-"

"And your bestest, most cutest friend~"

Adrian didn't argue against that. One thing at a time. "I just think...well, you should treat our classmates more nicely. They're really cool and I bet they could be your friends too."

Chloe looked up from her phone for the first time in their conversation. "Be...nice...? Why would I do something like that?"

"Chloe, do you want me to be your only friend?"

"I don't need anyone else", she huffed.

Adrien's shoulders slumped. Solving this problem would be harder than he had initially thought. And he might not be able to solve it on his own.

* * *

Marinette smiled at all of her friends (her friends!) working together to make something delicious. Her uncle would be arriving tomorrow, not as a guest chef at a hotel, but as a contestant in a cooking show. And while her speaking had gotten a little better, what better way to show her connection to her uncle than with her cooking.

She still had some memories of baking with her parents. Cooking was important to her whole family. She wished her grandfather could accept it in all its forms.

"How's that filling coming, girls?", Rose looked over to Mylene and Juleka.

"It's going great", Mylene said, measuring out the spices just before Juleka began to mix with her hands. Rose and Marinette were beginning to divide the dough. Everyone had a bit of flour on them. Only Alya wasn't currently involved in the cooking. She held her phone up to the group.

"Everyone say 'heeeeeyyyy'!"

Rose and Mylene both said hi to the camera while Juleka waved shyly with her hand covered in remnants of pork and cabbage. Marinette's eyes widened.

"Alya, please tell me you're not going to post this." Marinette figured the risk of her grandfather accessing an actual site and just so happening on a video of her cooking something he didn't approve of was small. But he had a cell phone now. The possibility wasn't zero.

"Don't worry, girl. It's not a recording." Alya turned her phone's camera to front facing, then flipped it to show Adrien on the screen while still letting him see everyone else.

"Hey everyone!", he waved from his end. "What are you making?"

"We're making, uh bozhi? Bahshi?", Rose looked to Marinette for help.

"It's uh, baozi." She felt weird being thought of as the expert when she wasn't that much experienced herself.

"I wish I could have a taste", Adrien said.

"Why not? Marinette, you're giving these to your uncle tomorrow, right?", Alya said. "Why don't you let Adrien tag along?"

"Would you like to come along, Adrien? My Uncle Wang is going to compete in a contest", Marinette explained.

Adrien considered it. "Well, I'm not doing anything then, but I'm not sure how to get my father on board."

"Just tell him you're getting real life practice for your Chinese", Alya suggested. She put her phone on a stand on the counter and leaned against Marinette's shoulder. "Both of you can help each other out."

"Marinette, you know Chinese?", Adrien asked.

Her cheeks turned red. "Well I-um, I know a little. I've been trying to practice but it's a really hard language and I haven't had a lot of help with it. So, uh, yeah", she stopped when she realized she was rambling. Her grandfather usually cut her off before she went for too long.

Adrien smiled. "In that case", he cleared his throat before continuing in Mandarin, "Thank you for your invitation."

Marinette smiled. She gave the best bow she could with a ball of dough in one hand and a rolling pin in the other. "No, thank you." She was beginning to think she'd never get used to speaking Chinese, but maybe one day she would. And in the meantime, she had a friend to practice with.

* * *

Cat Noir's nose twitched as he sniffed the air.

"You smell good enough to eat My Lady. Literally."

"What?! I was so careful!", Ladybug had a temporary panic as she sniffed herself but could barely get the faintest whiffs of something.

"Don't worry too much about it. My cat-like senses can smell a drop of blood from a mile away."

"That's sharks, kitty", Ladybug smiled. "Let's finish up this akuma quick." She had to shower before her grandfather got home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've been playing with the idea of Marinette having a cousin who is sort of a big sister to her (maybe bridgette? idk) lemme know what yall think. she wouldn't be too much of a recurring character at the moment, i don't think. but i do want to explore marinette talking with her chinese cousins either through emails or social media, and then branching out to other family members not just on her mom's side, but her dad's as well
> 
> might be a bit ambitious of me considering i don't even have this thing fully planned out, but Mari's problem outside of her grandpappy's strict attitude is just the isolation he puts her through.
> 
> Anyway! Next time: Wang returns, we get some Adrienette and Ladynoir and maybe even some Marichat if I have anything to say about it!


	10. Kung Food [REVISED]

Marinette was sitting on her bed, brushing her hair. She couldn't cut it now, since that might make her identity as Ladybug more obvious. But maybe once she went off to university she could. Her grandfather couldn't make all her decisions forever. And it wasn't like she'd be Ladybug forever too. After brushing, she put her hair up in a ponytail.

She was about to head out, planning to meet Adrien at the hotel, when she heard Roland answer the gate's bell. Marinette thought nothing of it as she grabbed the bao made yesterday until she heard Adrien's voice.

"Hi there. I'm here to pick up Marinette?"

"Who are you? What do you want?", Roland asked in his usual snappish way.

"Um, to pick up Marinette? I'm Adrien Agreste, from school?"

"Adrien Agreste? Impossible. My granddaughter doesn't know any boys. She doesn't go anywhere with boys."

"Oh, well today we were supposed to go-"

"WAaauaaahgh!", Marinette scurried over, drowning out whatever Adrien was going to say.

"Marinette stop that noise! What is this about some boy and where is he trying to take you? I told you that you are not allowed to go out with boys until you're old enough. Do not interrupt me!", Roland demanded the moment Marinette tried to open her mouth in her defense.

"Mr. Dupain?", Adrien's voice sounded. "Please allow me in to formally introduce myself."

Roland crossed his arms, eyes not leaving Marinette. He could see what was happening. He wasn't blind to Marinette growing up, he had already raised one child. First it was one boy, then it was two, then Marinette was spending all her time out with boys he didn't know. If he had his way, she'd stay in the house and wouldn't think about boys until _he_ brought someone home for her to meet.

But... Unfortunately, that wasn't feasible. And it was better for him to know what kind of people she associated with after all. Roland buzzed him in and moments later, Adrien was at their door.

"What are your intentions with my granddaughter?", Roland asked before anything else.

Marinette let out a squeak and blushed. He didn't have to word it like that. He made it seem like Adrien had come to ask for her hand.

"I came to give Marinette a ride to the hotel", Adrien said. "And if it's not too much trouble, I could give her a ride home as well."

"And just what are you going to be doing at the hotel?"

"It's all thanks to that cooking competition they're holding there", Marinette interjected, coming to stand next to Adrien. "We're allowed to observe some of the chefs there today."

Roland looked back and forth between Adrien and Marinette. Just seeing them stand next to each other made something heavy sink to the pit of his stomach. But banning his son from seeing that woman didn't make him stop.

"Be home by five", Roland said.

"Thank you Grandpa!" Marinette kissed his cheek.

"It was nice meeting you Mr. Dupain", Adrien said as Marinette dragged him out.

Only when they were in the car with Adrien's driver and on their way did she let out a sigh of relief. That had been a close one, for sure. Adrien smiled at her, understanding completely.

"He probably doesn't want you going to this thing, does he?"

Marinette shook her head.

"Can I ask why?"

"He's...overprotective", Marinette said. "And he doesn't really get along with my mom's side of the family. If he heard I was going specifically to see my uncle, he'd never allow it."

"My father's the same way. I don't know why, but he never really got on well with my mother's family", Adrien said. "With her gone, we haven't even seen them since then."

"I'm sorry to hear that." Marinette reached out to touch his hand. Adrien smiled at the gesture.

They arrived at the hotel and Marinette felt herself getting even more nervous. To the point that she had begun to tremble on her feet outside the hotel. Adrien noticed and put a hand on her shoulder.

"Marinette, are you okay?"

"I'm fine! I'm fine. It's just, what if he doesn't like the food I made? What if I did something wrong? What if he expects my Chinese to be better than it is? What if I mess up a super simple phrase and insult him? What if something horrible happens?!"

Marinette ended up pacing back and forth, making gestures with the box of bao as she did. Adrien simply watched her, not wanting to interject until he was sure that she was done. When she did finish, he simply held out a hand.

"May I have one?"

"Oh! Um sure", Marinette opened the box and handed one to him, watching his expression closely for his reaction.

Adrien took a bite and moaned in delight. "This is delicious! If he doesn't like it, he's no pro. You should be more confident."

Marinette blushed and shrunk in on herself despite the little boost. She felt a bit better, but she was still anxious about this meeting. Another car drove up to the hotel and the first one to exit was Wang Cheng. Marinette gave him a one armed hug just as someone else came out of the car. She was a few inches taller than Marinette and her dark had was pulled back into two ponytails.

"You're Marinette, right? I'm Bridgette, it's nice to finally meet you!" She shook Marinette's hand vigorously.

"Uh, nice to meet you too", Marinette tried to smile.

"She is one of your cousins", Wang said.

"I've always wanted to come to the city of love", Bridgette sighed. "Oh, is this your boyfriend?"

"A-Adrien's just a good friend!", Marinette said quickly, cheeks red again.

Bridgette grinned and looked to her uncle, saying something that Marinette didn't understand one bit. She leaned over to Adrien.

"Did you catch any of that?", she whispered.

"I think I got the words 'good' and 'boy'", Adrien said back.

Both of them laughed quietly with each other until they noticed the smiling and knowing looks on Wang and Bridgette's faces. Marinette quickly remembered one of the reasons she was here.

"I made this!", she nearly threw the box at them. "I'm sure it's not any good but if you'd like to try them..."

Bridgette opened the box and without a word, picked one and took a bite. "You made these? They're perfect! Uncle, try one!"

Wang did and his eyes widened. "You've improved greatly, Marinette."

Marinette beamed brightly and Adrien didn't miss the way that she stood a little straighter. They made their way into the hotel where a camera crew was already interviewing other chefs who were competing. Wang was sent to prepare for his segment while Marinette stood off to the side with Adrien and Bridgette. She smiled proudly when she saw him stand before a camera as Alec introduced him.

"So, what dish will you be serving to our panel today?"

"A special soup", Wang answered. "I was very inspired today, so it will be a special presentation."

"Well we can't wait to try it!"

"Does he really think he can win with a soup?", Chloe scoffed, coming right up beside Marinette.

"My uncle's going to win Chloe. His soup is legendary." Marinette only remembered having it once, but that one time had been magical.

Chloe looked back and forth between Wang and Marinette. "He's _your_ uncle? I should've guessed with his mediocre dish. Can't he just make sushi?"

Bridgette's eyes widened at the blatant comment while Marinette's cheeks reddened. It was Adrien who found the voice to speak up.

"Chloe, you can't say things like that. Sushi is a Japanese dish. Chef Cheng is Chinese."

"Whatever, I'm judging this contest and he's not winning if I have anything to say about it." Chloe punctuated her remark with a flip of her ponytail.

"Well you're not the only one with a say", Marinette said. "It'll be in the hands of people who have real taste."

"You're gonna regret saying that to me, Marinette Dupain. Or is is Marinette Cheng now? Hmph!" Chloe stomped off, oblivious to Bridgette sticking her tongue out at her. Marinette felt fired up but there wasn't much she could do but cheer her uncle on. Chloe's words had effected her, as much as she hated to admit it.

"I'm sorry about Chloe", Adrien said. "She's never...I didn't think..."

"You don't need to apologize for her", Bridgette said. "But if she says another thing about my family I might just get violent", she swung her fist in a way that was more cute than threatening.

* * *

As the chefs got cooking, Marinette talked more with her cousin. Bridgette was bubbly and fun to be around. It was only for a moment that Marinette was jealous of her shorts. They were cute and she could never get away with wearing anything like that. And it was fun hanging out with Adrien as well. When the time came for the judging, they found a good spot to watch the filming.

The other dishes were certainly impressive, but Marinette had faith in her uncle. He served his food and everyone oohed and aahed.

"What's this?", Chloe sneered at the dumplings in a shallow bowl. "I thought you were making soup? Not that I'd eat it anyway."

"It is soup dumplings", Wang explained.

"A trendy dish to be sure! Let's give it a try!", Alec said.

The panel all tasted the dumplings, expecting a rather nice, flavorful soup to burst from the dumplings. Instead they got something that was all at once too salty, too peppery, and even bitter.

"This is terrible!", Jagged Stone complained, spitting it out.

Chloe simply picked at it, knowing it would be inedible from the start. Her plan was working perfectly. Wang got a low score and he tasted one to see what the issue was.

"This is not my dish!", he denied.

"Sorry, but with a score this low, your dish won't be on the hotel's menu", Alec announced. "Nor will you be the World's Greatest Chef!"

"This isn't right", Marinette said. It would be one thing if only one of the judges disliked the food. Or if they just weren't absolutely loving it. But for all of them to spit it out? While Marinette's eyes followed Chloe, Bridgette followed their uncle to the kitchen.

"Uncle", she spoke in Chinese now. "Don't be so upset. I'm sure it was a mistake. There's this girl-"

"Girl?", Wang remembered the snooty one who had called out to him before while he'd been cooking.

"I think she has something against Marinette", Bridgette said, unknowing of the black butterfly fluttering nearby. It flew to Wang's messenger bag and he heard a voice in his head.

_"Iron Chef, I am Hawkmoth..."_

* * *

"I'm going to go and talk to Chloe", Adrien said.

"I'll go and see how my uncle is doing", Marinette decided. She turned away and went towards the kitchens. When she opened the door, she found only Bridgette, struggling with her feet stuck in an extra sticky caramel.

"Marinette! Uncle's been brainwashed or something! He shot some caramel gun at me and then said he was going to make some soup! What's wrong with him?!"

"Hold on! I'll get someone to help you!"

She ran out of the kitchen and tried to think of a place to transform in private. She looked outside and saw that the same caramel was dripping down the doors. No way out until the akuma was dealt with. Marinette remembered the bathrooms on the other side of the lobby and quickly transformed. On her way out and in the lobby, she nearly bumped into Cat Noir.

"Ladybug?"

"Cat Noir?"

They had no time to really question each other's prompt appearance when they heard the sound of maniacal laughter. There with them in the lobby, the akuma appeared almost like a robotic chef, gleaming in silver. And hanging over his shoulder was Chloe.

"I have the secret ingredient for my brat soup. Once it's done, I'll be recognized as the greatest chef in the world!"

Cat Noir's eyes narrowed before widening in realization. "Chef Cheng?"

"I am not Chef Cheng. I am Iron Chef! And you will make excellent garnishes for my soup!"

He threw Chloe off to the side and she scrambled away to safety. He reached into his chef's bag at his side and pulled out a small gun. He shot out spurts of hot caramel at the two heroes.

"Why don't we keep this short and sweet?", Cat Noir said as he knocked the gun out of Iron Chef's hands.

"The akuma is probably in either his bag or in his hat", Ladybug wagered. Just as she said that, Iron Chef held up his palms and cubed cheese shot out in rapid fire.

"Better figure out where before we become lunch." Cat Noir spun his baton, deflecting the cheese while Ladybug twirled her yo-yo.

"Lucky Charm!", she shouted, looking at the length of polka dotted sausage that landed in her hands. Cat Noir continued to shield her from the gobs of projectile food while she figured out what to do.

"You gonna make your famous ladybug gumbo, M'Lady?"

Ladybug looked around, planning a way to finish off a robotic cook with meat. When she got it, she looped her yo-yo around a light fixture on the ceiling, swinging high above. She then flung the line of sausage, wrapping up Iron Chef nicely.

"Hit him low Cat Noir!"

"Got it!" Cat Noir activated his power and then pressed his hand to the bag at the akuma's side. Destroyed to dust, the butterfly flew out and Ladybug made fast work of it. Wang appeared where the Iron Chef had been, looking confused and lost.

"Uncle!", Bridgette shouted, running from the kitchen in only her socks.

"Looks like we can wrap this one up to go", Cat Noir grinned before something occurred to him. "Marinette!"

Ladybug's eyes widened and she replied in panic before thinking. "What?!"

"Marinette, you know that girl? She was here, do you think she's okay?"

Ladybug let out a sigh of relief. For a moment, she was sure she'd been found out. But it was nice to know that Cat Noir cared about her civilian self. She supposed it came about from the few times they interacted.

"If she's not, she should be fine after this. Miraculous Ladybug!"

With a toss of the sausage, all the damage disappeared. The food disappeared, the caramel trapping them was gone, and Bridgette's shoes were back on her feet.

"Pound it!"

* * *

Wang was given another chance to serve his dish and this time around, Chloe was booted from the judge panel. With her gone and the food free from tampering, his meal was met with much higher praise. He won the competition with his soup dumplings and Marinette couldn't be prouder.

Afterwards, Bridgette gave Marinette her e-mail address. "We should definitely talk more. And don't worry. You haven't seen the last of me", she winked.

"Yeah! Definitely!", Marinette beamed. She certainly wasn't going to China any time soon. So it would be nice to get more visits from her cousin. When Marinette said goodbye to her uncle, she gave him a polite bow and he pulled her into a hug, which she returned. She didn't know what she had been so nervous about. Things had gone disastrously wrong today but it had everything to do with Chloe and Hawkmoth and nothing to do with her family.

On the drive home, Marinette thanked Adrien for coming with her today.

"It was my pleasure. It's fun not being on a schedule all the time", he said. "I just wish Chloe..."

"Adrien...I know Chloe is your friend but...she's not a good person", Marinette said. "Maybe she has some goodness in her." That was probably why Adrien was friends with her in the first place. "But she has to show it to everyone."

"You're right. Although I don't think she knows how. We'll just have to be good examples for her."

Marinette appreciated his optimism but she wouldn't be holding her breath. If she ever saw Chloe being a decent person, she would certainly encourage it. And if not, well then, Adrien had more than one friend now. It occurred to Marinette that she herself had more than one friend now as well. If one good thing came out of this Ladybug business, it was that.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chloe will get her redemption if i have to drag her there by gum!
> 
> Also since Bridgette is here, I am contractually obligated to bring in Felix, them's the rules. He'll be different from canon Felix of the vanilla graham cracker and won't be here for a while but here's your heads up
> 
> Up next: Horrificator


	11. Horrificator

"Why is little mousy Mylene the lead actress?", Chloe snapped.

"Because we drew straws for the acting parts", Marinette reminded her.

"And why is Dupain the director?!"

"Because who better than the class rep to direct?", Nino reasoned.

Chloe crossed her arms, clearly not happy about it all but it mattered little, usually. But they only had a couple more hours left until they had to leave the school. And Nino still had a bunch of footage to get. Still, Chloe wasn't the only problem but no one wanted to admit that Mylene wasn't entirely natural behind the camera. Marinette couldn't blame her.

She still got nervous when news crews tried to get an interview with her after akuma attacks. Which is why she usually swung off before they could ask too much. She wasn't even sure she had what it took to handle things behind the camera, but it was the task assigned to her, so she'd do her best. Which meant, first and foremost getting rid of Chloe.

"If she's going to be a main character, why not make her the monster?", Chloe suggested, pointing to the mask Ivan was holding. "She wouldn't even need a costume!"

Hurt, Mylene ran off and Ivan followed after her, calling out to her. Chloe watched them go with a self-satisfied smile while Marinette was trying not to break her clipboard in half. She took a deep breath and walked over to Chloe.

"You know, you might be right, Chloe. We can do a few camera tests and see how well you work with Adrien. But you should go and find the appropriate costume in the nurse's office", Marinette said.

Chloe smirked and snapped her fingers for Sabrina, Kim, and Max to follow her. They left the classroom and Marinette closed the door behind them.

"Good job getting rid of Chloe, but we still need a leading lady", Nino pointed out.

"Well, I was thinking someone should go after Mylene", Marinette said. "She is who we decided on."

"Yeah, but she's not really up to it, you know?", Alix said from her seat.

"Why don't you do it, Marinette?", Alya suggested.

Adrien smiled at the prospect. He certainly preferred that idea over Chloe. "I think you'd be a great fit."

"No dude! She can't!", Nino shouted.

Adrien only blinked in confusion while Alya put her hands on her hips. "And why not?"

"Because, well it'd be weird, right? Two friends, having to kiss each other on camera", Nino shrugged nervously. He was met with a disjointed chorus of 'kiss?!' from Alya, Marinette, and Nathaniel.

"I didn't put a kiss in my script! Why did you change it?", Alya demanded.

"You know, rising tensions, gives the characters stakes, and junk", Nino explained in his defense. "But Marinette and Adrien are friends, they can't pull that off."

"And you thought Mylene could pull something like that off?", Alya questioned, arms crossed. "You didn't think it'd be weird for her to kiss someone in front of her boyfriend?"

All Nino got out was an 'uuhhh' before they heard a scream come from outside the classroom. They left the room to investigate only to come upon some kind of sticky goo on the floors. Both Marinette and Adrien had the same instinct. This had to be the work of an akuma.

"Yo, is this from a real monster?", Nino pointed his phone at it, absolutely ecstatic.

Adrien took a few steps back, quietly making his escape. Marinette didn't have it that easy, being right in Nino's line of sight as well as his camera. When they noticed Adrien was missing, they went back to the classroom, finding only his shoe.

"We should go to the principal", Marinette, leading them to his office. It was empty except for more goo.

"We've gotta get out of here", Alix said.

"Easier said that done", Cat Noir said, leaning against the door way. "I've already tried handling the slime, but it's got us trapped for now."

"Cat Noir?!", Nino exclaimed. "This is incredible!"

Marinette tried not to think too much about the implications about Cat Noir being at her school and instead used the attention on him as he moved across the office to misdirect any eyes on her, getting away so that she could transform. When she was able to reappear again, Cat Noir was already fighting the monster responsible for the gooey mess and the disappearance of half of their class.

The creature had Nathaniel wrapped in its tail and Ladybug could see from where she stood that it got bigger and stronger with each shriek of fear. She wasn't worried about herself. Ladybug didn't fear akumas. Only the damage they could do. She fought the monster with Cat Noir but they weren't able to stop it from stealing more of the class.

"You all need to stay back!", Ladybug commanded those that remained. "Let us handle this!"

As she and Cat Noir ran off to deal with the akuma, Ladybug knew they didn't heed her warning. One of them was Alya, the other was Nino, and the only other person left was Alix who wasn't going to be left alone. They followed the trail to the basement of the school where what appeared to be egg sacks sat, holding their classmates if their muffled screams were anything to go by.

They went around, making sure they could at least find everyone even if they couldn't get them out.

"Is everyone accounted for?", Ladybug shouted in her authoritative voice so that they could hear her from the distance.

"We can't find Marinette or Adrien!", Alya said.

"Oh! Um, I'm here!", Ladybug answered, making her voice sound a little different without realizing it. She heard Adrien's voice from the opposite direction call out as well and let out a sigh of relief. Now to take care of Mylene. When they found her, she was encasing the last of her victims while keeping Ivan in her hand, gripped tightly.

"Ivan! You have to show her you're not afraid! She feeds off of fear!", Ladybug told him.

"But, I'm not afraid of her", Ivan said. "I'm..I'm scared for her...Mylene, I know what it's like to be akumatized. I know it hurts. And it's scary. But I know you. And I know you don't want to hurt anyone." As Mylene got smaller and smaller, Ladybug tried figuring out where the akumatized object was. It wasn't until Mylene was incredibly small and purring in Ivan's hands, that she was able to get a closer look.

"Hey, that's the pin I gave her", Ivan pointed out.

Ladybug had her 'aha' moment and removed the pin, crushing it between her fingers and purifying the akuma inside.

"Not entirely sure I know what happened, but good job", Cat Noir said, holding his fist out to Ladybug for a bump.

She softly knocked her knuckles with his and smiled as Ivan and Mylene held each other. "That's easy. The opposite of fear, is trust."

* * *

The film Nino ended putting together didn't end up making the cut but Adrien saved himself a copy. Footage of his lady in action this up close was rare, after all. He watched the video in his bedroom over and over.

"Plagg, what do you think Ladybug was doing in the school?"

"Who knows?", Plagg replied, more interested in the cheese plate before him. "Maybe she's a classmate of yours."

Adrien sighed heavily. "Don't get my hopes up like that. If she was so close, I wouldn't know what to do with myself."

"You don't know what to do with yourself now", Plagg pointed out. "Why are you still pining after someone who said they weren't interested anyway? Seems like a waste of time."

"I can't just turn my feelings off, Plagg. All I can do is make sure she's comfortable around me. And if maybe, one day along the road..."

"Now who's getting their hopes up?"

"There's just no one else out there like her", Adrien said, watching the video again. "Well, except maybe-"

His phone rang as Nino called him at that moment and Adrien picked up. "Dude, I need your help with Marinette."

"What a coincidence. I was just about to call her for some Chinese practice", Adrien said. "I can put you in on it too if you want."

"No way bro! Wait, you guys practice together?", Nino asked.

"Well, it's more like I say a phrase my tutor taught me and she repeats it, then she says something her cousin taught her and I repeat it and then we both hope we're getting the inflections right."

"How often do you guys do this?"

Adrien shrugged although Nino obviously couldn't see. "Just whenever we're free and can't leave our homes."

"I didn't realize you two got so close. Nevermind. I gotta go." Nino hung up before Adrien could ask what that was all about. Something was definitely up with Nino. Maybe he'd bring it up in his chat with Marinette. He watched the film a final time to get his Ladybug fix before dialing her up so that they could practice together.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next time: A teensy bit of Animan with the boysquad and then some plot progression and if i can squeeze it in we're gonna move right on to Volpina
> 
> While that is the end of season one, that is not the last season one episode we're gonna do because imma attempt to fix this timeline a little because somehow it's only been a few months since LB and CN appeared by the time we get to Feast and yet we know February happens with Dark Cupid. That would suggest that season 1 alone takes place over the course of half a year.
> 
> So yeah, I make no promises but I do wanna have this timeline make actual sense


	12. Animan

Nino paced back and forth in his room as he tried to summon up his words.

"I'm sure you're all wondering why I've gathered you here today", he said.

"More like why we had to meet so early", Max said through a yawn.

"Because this is urgent!", Nino exclaimed. "Wake up, Kim!"

Max nudged Kim, who was dozing off on Nino's bed. Ivan wasn't in much better shape, eyes only half open. Kim sat up slowly and Nino let out a sigh.

"I called you because this is something I need your help with. It's...a guy problem", Nino said.

"What about Adrien? And Nathaniel?", Max asked.

"They can't help with this! Adrien hasn't been at school that long and Nate, well...he...well he likes Marinette, doesn't he?"

Max shrugged and Kim was still pretty much asleep, so it was Ivan who answered. "I don't know. I keep seeing him doodle Ladybug. He might've moved on."

"Well either way, you guys are enough. I need advice on asking Marinette out", Nino pleaded.

Now that woke them up. Even Kim was interested now. Maybe he could get a few pointers here for asking out the girl he liked.

"Marinette's nice, but she can be kind of cold, can't she?", Kim questioned. "She's always turnin' down hangouts to go home."

"Yeah, because her grandpops is super strict", Nino explained.

Max pushed his glasses up. "And you think her super strict grandfather will give her permission to go out with you?"

"Well, that's one obstacle, I guess", Nino played with his hat as he considered it. "But I have to ask her out first and I don't know what to say!"

"Mylene likes it when I write stuff for her", Ivan suggested. "Maybe you could write her a song or a poem."

"Something creative does seem like it would work", Max agreed. "Aren't you a DJ? Why don't you make her a mix?"

"Give her a song...that could work! But now I need date ideas!", Nino demanded just as an alarm on Max's wristwatch began to ring.

"That's our warning that we need to leave now if we want to make it to school on time." He stood up and started pushing Kim towards the door.

"But duuuuuudes", Nino whined as he grabbed his bag and followed them out.

* * *

"Why don't you invite her to the zoo?", Adrien suggested.

Nino had caved and actually asked him. Adrien was his friend after all and there was no reason for him to be jealous just because he and Marinette shared a few interests and talked outside of school. They were just friends too. If anything, he could use that to his advantage.

"Why the zoo?"

"Because it's fun", Adrien smiled. "And, there's no pressure at the zoo. And, when she's looking at a cute animal, you can watch her without being caught. And if something jumps out at her, she can hold onto you when she's scared. And you can take funny pictures with the monkeys. And-"

"Dude, you've thought a lot about this, haven't you?"

Adrien blushed, trying to will away the image of a spotted lady. "I just...think about locations a lot. Being a model is partially being an actor you know."

"Yeah...okay...so I have the place. Now how do I ask Marinette about it?"

The two of them were standing by the classroom, leaning on the railing as people came into the school. Marinette came in with Alya. Today her hair was in two braids. She looked so cute. Nino let out a sigh while Adrien followed his line of sight.

"Marinette?" So far that made two guys in their class that had their eyes on her. "That's easy. Just go up to her, compliment something, and then invite her out."

Nino put his hands on Adrien's shoulders. "Teach me your ways."

Adrien laughed softly before shifting modes. Nino gulped at the sudden change. It was like he wasn't Adrien anymore, but someone else. His heart thudded when Adrien took his hand.

"Your eyes are looking wonderfully beautiful today. I wonder if I could tempt you a stroll through the zoo with me this afternoon?"

Alix cleared her throat at them before going into the classroom. Nino quickly snatched his hand away and tilted his hat down to hide the redness blooming on his cheeks.

"D-dude! Since when have you been so smooth?"

"W-was that smooth?", Adrien asked. "I did it how I thought it should be, but I don't really know. I haven't actually asked out a girl before."

Nino took a deep breath and put his hands together. "Bro. You made my heart melt."

"Well now's your chance to melt Marinette's." Adrien grabbed Nino's shoulders and turned him around just in time to see Alya and Marinette coming up the stairs together. And that was when Nino froze up.

"Morning you two", Alya greeted.

Marinette smiled at them. "Good morning Adrien, good morning Nino."

"Morning! M-m-morning, Marinette! Um, didja wanna maybe cometothezoowithme?"

"Oh, I uh, I'd love to Nino, but my grandpa is expecting me home today. Sorry", Marinette apologized. "Maybe next time."

"Yeah, next time", Nino sighed in dejection.

* * *

"Cheer up Nino. She didn't say no to you, just the timing", Adrien said as they hung out on the steps in front of the school. The day had ended and soon Adrien would need to go to a lesson. But he had time to lift a friend's spirits.

"I should've guessed though. She might be going out more, but that doesn't mean she has all the freedom in the world."

"Don't I know the feeling", Adrien said, adjusting his bag strap on his shoulder. "I've gotta go. But don't give up hope, Nino. Any girl would be lucky to have you."

"Thanks dude." Nino and him pounded fists before Adrien walked off to the car waiting for him. Nino put on his headphones and decided to go to the zoo anyway. It wasn't like he had anything else to do today. When he got there, he ran into Max and Kim who were in front of the new panther exhibit.

"What're you guys doing here?", he asked.

"Alix heard Adrien asking you out to come here", Kim said. "So we wanted to see what the buzz was about."

"Adrien didn't ask me out! He was just showing me how to do it for Marinette!"

"And how did that go?", Kim asked obliviously. Max shook his head.

"Do you see her here, dude?", Nino deadpanned.

Kim shrugged. "I don't know what you expected from little miss princess."

"She's not a princess!", Nino and Alya shouted in unison. Nino's eyes widened in surprise but Alya wasn't finished.

"Just because she can't come out every single time someone invites her, doesn't mean she's uptight or prissy. You guys just haven't taken the time to get to know her. She isn't Chloe!"

"Hey! Chloe isn't that bad!", Kim said in the other girl's defense.

"Now I know where you stand", Alya said with finality in her tone. "Come on", she grabbed Nino by the elbow and stomped off with him.

When they got to a different part of the zoo, Alya stopped and released him, apologizing for dragging him along like that. Nino was simply confused by her timely presence. And her presence in general at that.

"You mentioned the zoo to Marinette", she said in response. "It had me thinking that I hadn't gone since moving here. And my dad works here. He was actually the guy working with the panther earlier."

"That's awesome!", Nino exclaimed.

Alya smiled but then the corners of her mouth turned down as they sat on a bench. "I'm sure Marinette would've come if she could. But you need to work on your charm. I had to tell her you were asking her out on a date!"

"What? Hey! I've got charm. I've got the moves. If I turned it on, you wouldn't be able to resist me", Nino said, crossing his arms.

"Oh yeah?", Alya raised a brow and there was a challenge in her tone.

Nino gulped, suddenly unsure of himself. "Y-yeah!"

"Try some on me then. Remember, it's gotta be good enough to get through to Marinette."

Nino was steeling his nerves to do just then when they heard a rumbling in the ground. First a bunch of monkeys came scurrying through. Then they saw the gorillas running towards them. Nino grabbed Alya this time and pulled her into a run. His eyes frantically searched for something they could hide in because there was no way they could outrun gorillas for long.

He didn't even look back to see what else might be stampeding towards them. Nino saw the empty panther enclosure and went right for it, slamming it closed behind them. Only then did he let out a sigh of relief. Then he turned to Alya and she was practically pressed to the glass, recording with her phone. Nino knew for sure then. This girl was crazy.

Eventually, Ladybug and Cat Noir came on the scene and chased the animals away. Nino went to release them but they were locked inside. Stiffly, he faced Alya and gave a sheepish shrug. She rolled her eyes at him, but smiled.

"Guess this means we still have time for you to try some of those moves on me", she said.

* * *

Later on, when everything was put back to normal, Alya's father let them out of the enclosure. She embraced him tightly, glad that he was back to his old self. And, she couldn't help but think she was beginning to see Nino in a different way as well. He was still a dork, but there was something charming about that dorkiness that she had never seen before.

Meanwhile Nino was wondering if the way his heart was wavering made him fickle or if his feelings were never that deep in the first place. Either way, he had a lot of thinking to do.

And over in the Agreste mansion, Adrien was dialing up Marinette almost as soon as he got into his room. She took a few rings to answer and each one had his anxiety increasing until she picked up.

"Hello?"

"Marinette? Hey!" Relief was so thick in Adrien's voice that he didn't notice Marinette seemed to be out of breath.

"Hey, Adrien. Did you need something?", she asked.

"No I-" He couldn't say he'd just seen the girl of his dreams jump into the mouth of a dinosaur and nearly lose her and because of that, he just wanted to hear Marinette's voice. Adrien didn't really understand the reasoning himself. Marinette had been nowhere near the akuma attack. She had been safe at home. But today had been a close call with Ladybug, from Cat Noir's perspective at least.

"I just wanted to ask if you were ready for that exam next week?"

Marinette began to go off on what she'd done so far to prepare and into details about her notes, taking into account how much time she'd have to study for their other classes, as well as keeping up to date with her duties as the class representative. Adrien was able to relax in his chair, simply listening to her voice. His mother's face smiled at him from his monitors and he tried not to think about how fresh the hurt of losing a loved one still was.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Did a lot more with Alyanino than I planned, but I'm happy. And a bit of Adrienette at the end to keep in our good graces.
> 
> This has nothing to do with this chapter but apparently the fashion show and thus Style Queen + Queen Wasp happen before Befana/Marinette's bday? Idk what exactly I'm gonna do with that but I guess I better make a decision LOL
> 
> Next time, Volpina for real, which means an opportunity for some Ladrien yall!


	13. Volpina

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i feel like i talked so much in this chapter im sorry yall it's a bigg'un

Adrien stared at the book he had found. His father hiding stuff behind his mother's painting wasn't such a huge revelation. Adrien only wondered the significance of all the items. He supposed they were mementos from before his mother's disappearance so things like photographs and traveling tickets made sense. What really had his mind whirring was the book that had a picture of Hawkmoth.

Or at least, a version of him. And the other heroes too.

"Plagg, what does all of this mean?", Adrien asked, feeling like he was on the cusp of something.

Plagg looked at the pages with a bored expression. "It's all gibberish to me. You think your dad is aging some cheese in here?"

He went back into the safe to look at everything else, truly hoping for a snack of some kind. Food was the most valuable thing after all. Plagg felt a weird sort of feeling from the brooch sitting in front of the picture of Emilie Agreste but ignored it in favor of filling his stomach. Adrien heard someone approaching the office and hesitated for only a moment before putting the book in his bag.

Plagg hid away in his usual spot in Adrien's shirt and it was off to his fencing lesson. He'd have time to himself later to look deeper into the book and maybe figure out a few things.

* * *

Marinette arrived to school that day to hear everyone abuzz about someone named Lila. Lila had met Prince Ali. Lila knew directors in Hollywood and could introduce Nino to them. Jagged Stone had written a song about Lila. Marinette found Alya to get some clarity.

"Lila? She's this new girl who's totally awesome! She gave me an exclusive for the Ladyblog 'cause Ladybug saved her life."

Alya showed her the video on her phone and Marinette didn't recognize the girl at all. But to be fair, she had saved quite a few people since becoming a superhero. Some personally by swooping them out of danger and others in large groups. She felt bad that if she did save this girl, she didn't remember it. Saving a life wasn't something to take lightly.

She looked up just in time to see Lila blatantly flirting with Adrien and then pulling him into the library. Marinette felt a twinge in her chest that she didn't recognize.

"Doesn't it all seem too good to be true?", she said to Alya. "That she knows so many influential people?"

Alya gave her an incredulous look. "Those are some words coming from someone who's rivals with the daughter of the mayor, designed a Jagged Stone album cover, and is study buddies with a model. Not to mention her design for said model is going to be featured in a fashion show. Girl, your uncle was just on a televised cooking show!"

Marinette opened her mouth to retort but didn't have a comeback for that. Everything Alya had said was true. If Marinette thought about it, she actually knew quite a few important people personally. And that wasn't even counting all the amazing things she'd done as Ladybug. And then there were all the amazing people at her school.

It seemed like everyone's parents had interesting jobs - museum director, hotel chef, chief of police. Or they themselves had a passion that had gotten them recognition. Max had won gaming tournaments, Nino had Dj'ed on tv, and that was just people in her class. She could go on about the accomplishments of other students.

Alya went off to the lockers while Marinette went towards the library. She might not remember Lila, but her actions obviously meant very much to her. She should welcome their new classmate, not only as a class rep, but just in case their paths crossed again and Ladybug. And given Hawkmoth's track record with akumatizing her classmates, it was very likely.

When she got to the library, she saw Adrien sitting alone. Lila was nowhere to be found. Tikki poked her head out of Marinette's purse as her holder looked around for the new girl. Adrien took out the book he had swiped from his father's safe earlier and flipped through the pages. Tikki let out a little gasp.

"Marinette!", she whispered harshly before flying out of the purse. "I need to get a better look at that book!"

"What? Why?", Marinette whispered, confused at Tikki's sudden burst of energy. She gestured for the kwami to hide but Tikki was already flying above the shelf across from them to get a greater vantage point just as Lila returned with her textbook.

"Studying history together is much more fun than alone, isn't it?"

Marinette hid behind the shelf, wishing Tikki would just come back. She rubbed her face in despair as she heard the other two talking.

"Ladybug?", Lila exclaimed softly as she turned the page. The outfit was older, but the spots and yo-yo made her unmistakable. She looked up in time to see Adrien gazing off with a dreamy expression.

"She's incredible, isn't she?"

Lila quickly moved her chair right next to Adrien's so that she was practically right in his space. "A girl doesn't need to wear a costume to be incredible, you know?"

Adrien's mind immediately brought up a girl who he thought was inspirational without a miraculous and he got the same dreamy look as when he had thought of Ladybug. "Yeah, you're right."

Lila misinterpreted that look as more love for Ladybug though. "So, you've got a soft spot for the Bug, huh?"

Marinette went around behind them while Adrien sputtered an answer. He knew he loved Ladybug, more than he'd ever loved any girl. But as much as he waxed poetic around Plagg, it was kind of embarrassing doing the same in front of other people. They didn't know he was Cat Noir, and thus had a connection to her that most didn't.

To regular people, he would seem like a fanboy. Which to be fair, he sort of was, considering how much time he looked at ladynoir fanart.

"You know, Ladybug and I have a special connection", Lila grinned.

Marinette's brows rose at that. She knew that wasn't entirely true. But maybe Lila had felt that way after being rescued by Ladybug. Lila planned with Adrien to meet him at the park later and while he was distracted about being late, she snuck the mysterious book away from him. That meant that now Marinette had to keep an eye on Lila. Tikki wouldn't let up about the importance of the book although she wouldn't say why.

* * *

Later on, Marinette was watching the interview Alya had gotten in full. In it, Lila proclaimed that she (as Ladybug) was a close personal friend.

"Why would she say something like that? It isn't true." Ladybug never kept up relationships with people she had saved. It would put them in danger if she had continued contact with civilians. Marinette and Tikki followed Lila as she shopped at a jewelry store and after, at the park, watched her put it on. Marinette recognized the design as a Gabriel Agreste original.

Maybe she was just trying to impress Adrien. Marinette didn't think she'd have to go so far as to lie to do that. Adrien was very generous with compliments. Lila flipped through the book and Marinette was trying to figure out how to get it away from her when Adrien walked up. Lila put it behind her back and pointed off to something behind Adrien, prompting him to look away.

In that time, she set the book down and kicked it far away enough that he couldn't see, almost right next to the tree, Marinette had been hiding behind. Tikki gasped in glee.

"I guess you're good luck after all", Marinette teased, reaching out very slowly to grab the book.

"You see, I'm a vixen superhero, Volpina", she heard Lila say.

"Volpina?", Adrien said, voice full of awe. "I think I heard of her in my book-"

Lila stopped him from reaching for something that wasn't there. "Of course you've heard of her. Actually, Volpina and Ladybug are meant to be the true pair of partners, not her and Cat Noir. But I've been traveling around, saving people in other countries, so he's been filling in for me here in Paris."

Well now Adrien wasn't sure how much of that to believe. He couldn't testify to the existence of other superheroes around the world, but he knew for a fact that the Ladybug and Black Cat were always meant to be together. Creation and Destruction. Good Luck and Bad Luck. Maybe Lila was a holder of a miraculous, but she was confused about a few things.

Adrien was still confused about some parts of having a miraculous. He didn't share Plagg's love for stinky cheese but sometimes he'd purr like a cat.

But there was no confusion for Marinette. Lila was lying. There could be no mistake this time. Marinette handed the book to Tikki before transforming, she had to set this girl straight before she deceived Marinette's friends any more than she'd already had. But then she was Ladybug and she wasn't sure how to casually address either of them like this.

She really should have thought this through. Now she could refute Lila's claims, but how did she explain why she was here in the first place? She gasped lightly as the perfect idea came to her.

"Adrien Agreste? Is that you?", she called out and waved.

Adrien did his very best not to swoon right then and there. "L-Ladybug?"

"It is you. I was out on patrol and wanted to say hi. I'm one of your biggest fans you know."

He was saved from embarrassing himself with Lila cutting in to talk to Ladybug. His brain was basically fried right now and he couldn't string together two words, much less respond.

"You left the kitty at home?", Lila asked.

"This patrol was a spur of the moment thing. It wouldn't be fair to call him out so suddenly", Ladybug reasoned. "But he's my irreplaceable partner. Are you one of Adrien's classmates?"

"I'm more than that", Lila said, tugging at the fox tail necklace.

"You're a fan of his father's work?", Ladybug asked.

Adrien took a closer look at the necklace and reached out to Lila, gently taking a hold of it and turning it over. Sure enough, there was his father's logo on the back. So it wasn't a miraculous.

"If this is a fake, I'm guessing you're not a superhero either?"

"You shouldn't make up things just to impress people", Ladybug said. "It can get you into a lot of trouble."

Lila had the audacity to look offended. "How dare you!" She ran off, humiliated.

"I should probably go after her", Adrien said. "She's new to my school, so she's probably just trying to make friends."

Ladybug couldn't fault him for wanting to forgive her. Lila's deception had been harmless in the end. And it wasn't too long ago that Marinette had no one to call a friend.

"I hope you work things out", Ladybug said before swinging away.

Adrien meant to go after Lila, but his bodyguard pulled up and he had to go home. The day had felt rather hectic and it was nowhere near over. Ladybug considered that Lila might get akumatized, but she came across a lot of upset people in her daily life, not everyone succumbed to feelings so negative that they got Hawkmoth's attention.

Still, it was usually an easy tell when someone was akumatized. There was a commotion that was centered around a person in a ridiculous appearance, doing harm. It was never something as catastrophic as a meteor falling towards the Earth. For a moment, Ladybug despaired. No way she had a lucky charm that could defeat that. But then someone flew right up to the meteor and threw it back out into the sky.

"I am Volpina! The only hero Paris needs!", she said to the cheers of the people.

Ladybug rolled her eyes. She was a bit much, but so was Cat Noir sometimes. And speaking of the cat...

"Looks like we've got a new partner", Cat Noir said, landing on the roof next to Ladybug.

"I admit we could use the help, but doesn't it seem too good to be true? A new partner out of nowhere? Did your kwami tell you anything about this?" She clearly remembered Tikki telling her that she would have a partner in Cat Noir. And remembered Cat Noir mentioning that his kwami had said the same. If there were other miraculous heroes, where had they been hiding?

Before Cat Noir could answer, Volpina landed in front of them, prompting them to follow her before taking off in an orange blur. When she landed again, she crouched down low on a roof. Hawkmoth's back was clearly visible a few buildings away.

"Is that...Hawkmoth...?", Cat Noir said in disbelief.

Ladybug was in shock as well. It was the first time they'd seen him in full-body like this. "Something big must be going down, he never shows himself."

"We can take him", Volpina said. "But we've gotta make the best of our skills." She moved closer to Cat Noir, complimenting him on his suit, prompting him to do the same for her. Ladybug was already about 99 percent sure Volpina was Lila. But she couldn't exactly voice that claim to Cat Noir. As to whether or not she had been wrong about Lila having a miraculous...

"Say, Volpina, what's your miraculous?", Ladybug asked.

"My necklace."

"And what powers does it give you?"

"The power of flight and super strength", Volpina's voice got a little less friendly as Ladybug continued to question her. But Ladybug had gotten everything she needed just from that. Although she only had three pieces of evidence, she knew miraculi didn't work that way. But before she could call the other girl out on it, Volpina alerted them to Hawkmoth escaping.

The three pursued him to another part of the city and split up to trap him, but he kept moving just out of their reach. Ladybug wished she could speak to her kwami while suited up. Hawkmoth's ability to teleport seemed out of place. If he could do it before, why didn't he use it to keep a closer eye on his minions? Or maybe that's what he did all the time and only now he was being caught in the act.

Ladybug didn't even realize she had gone far from Cat Noir and Volpina until she was caught in the fox's trap. She was pinned under several missiles tuned to her movements and behind them all stood Volpina.

"You won't be able to call me a liar anymore! Everyone will call you the liar!" Well that confirmed her 'Lila is Volpina' theory.

"You're a victim of Hawkmoth. Just resist him. This isn't the way to get what you want!", Ladybug implored her.

"I'd stop talking and start taking off my earrings if I were you", Volpina taunted, playing her flute and throwing a ball of light towards a building across the street. It began to crumble and in a momentary panic, Ladybug started reaching for her earrings. But just in time, the illusion broke, revealing Volpina's true power.

"Of course. You're so good at lying, it's practically a super power", Ladybug said as she took her yo-yo and swept away all the missiles. She made a swipe at Volpina, only to find she was fake as well. She had to give one thing to Lila, she was really good at weaving falsities. She called Cat Noir up and explained the situation. If she had a good grip of Lila's character, then she was probably heading to Adrien's house as they spoke.

By the time she arrived, Volpina was already there, closing in on Adrien. Ladybug tried calling Cat Noir first but he was MIA and she had to act fast. She was sure he'd show up soon.

"You need to step away from him!", Ladybug ordered as she swung into the bedroom.

"You see? She's jealous of us!", Volpina said. "But you're not going to interrupt our date this time."

"Um, it wasn't really a date", Adrien clarified, not wanting Ladybug to get the wrong idea. But when he saw Volpina's look of betrayal, he didn't want to upset her more than she already was and tried to backtrack but neither girl was interested in his hemming and hawing. While they brawled in his room, Adrien hid in his bathroom. And coincidentally, Cat Noir appeared a few moments later.

Ladybug dispersed the mob of Volpinas, only to see her leaping away with Adrien outside. She really wished there was a tell for which was the real one. They chased the pair all the way to the Eiffel Tower, where Volpina dangled a helpless Adrien.

"You wouldn't!", Ladybug shouted, hoping that Volpina wouldn't be that cruel. Akumatized victims were usually the worst versions of themselves, but they also rarely put the people they cared about in direct danger.

Volpina released her fingers one by one, waiting for Ladybug to make her decision. Tears welling in her eyes, she began to make a move for her earrings, the second time today. Seeing what she was willing to risk, Cat Noir reacted and threw his baton at what he knew was an illusion. Ladybug's emotions were so quick to come up, she almost choked on them.

She and Cat Noir made it to the very top of the tower, only to see Volpina had made more clones of herself. This had gone on long enough. Summoning her Lucky Charm and getting a fudgesicle in return, she knew exactly what to do. A rare time the charm didn't require too much thought.

"Get ready, Cat Noir."

Knowing what that meant, he called upon his Cataclysm and waited for the right moment. After figuring out the real from the fakes and trapping her, Ladybug took care of the akuma and undid the damage caused that day. She knelt down to Lila's level.

"I told you, even the smallest lies can get you in trouble. But you don't have to be so deceptive. I'm sure there's people who would like to know the real you", Ladybug assured her in a soft tone.

Lila shrugged off the hand on her shoulder. "Your goody two-shoes routine won't work on me. You might have beaten me today. But that doesn't mean you're better than me." She picked up her necklace and left, with no regard from how she'd get down without the help of the heroes. Ladybug felt bad for Lila, but only for a moment when she realized they still didn't know where Adrien had disappeared off to.

"He must be back home, since everything's back to normal, right?", Cat Noir shrugged.

"I've gotta check to be sure", Ladybug said, taking off despite her partner's protests. When she got back to the room, she heard the shower running. Shyly, she knocked on the door. "Adrien? Are you in there, are you okay?"

"Uh, yeah! Just had to shower after all this. Cool down and relax a little", Cat Noir said from the other side of the door.

"Oh! Okay then", she laughed nervously. Adrien was possibly naked on the other side of that door and for the first time it occurred to her that she was in a boy's room. "I'll just um, leave you to it!"

"Thank you", he said.

She swung away and returned home, thoroughly exhausted from the days events. When she de-transformed in her bedroom, Tikki flew out and the book dropped to the floor as well. Marinette had almost forgotten about that thing. She picked it up off the floor but the sound of it falling must have alerted her grandfather to her presence because he opened the door. Tikki almost didn't have enough time to hide.

"Where have you been? What time did you get home?"

"I uh, I just got home, grandpa." She quickly put the book behind her on the bed, trying to keep from drawing attention to it.

"Don't think I haven't noticed what you've been doing", Roland crossed his arms. Marinette's internal panic went off before he continued. "You've been going out too often on your own. You should be spending more time at home. Now get ready to help with dinner."

She let out a sigh of relief and let her body slack but her grandfather's scolding of not to slouch had her standing straight again. She put her hair up in a ponytail. She and Tikki could discuss the book later.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I kinda wanted a ladynoir moment near the end but this chapter was already going on forever and i figure i can save it for a real tender moment later on.
> 
> alright and with that we're headed into season 2! (but remember, we're still getting Dark Cupid) So here's the time to give your input for which episodes should be covered as i make my official outline and figure out what needs to get a focus and what just needs like a half chapter or quick reference. (i've already got some from a few of you <3)
> 
> I've got big plans for s2 (well one. i have one big plan) but also now's as good a time as any to mention there will be lukanette in this as well as a bit of adrigami
> 
> Up next: The Collector


	14. The Collector

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I kinda wanted to have more Adrien pov in this, but there'll be other chances for that

Marinette left home, first thing in the morning, bright and early. She never liked having to awaken at an hour like this, but Tikki wouldn't let up about seeing some man about this book and that meant going before school started. She was barely paying attention as Tikki told her where to go but soon things started looking familiar.

"I've...been here before", Marinette realized when she was face to face with the man Tikki wanted her to meet. "You're the one who helped when Tikki was sick."

It had been a hectic day, what with Rose being akumatized into Princess Fragrance, saving the city AND a prince, and losing Tikki (who had been too ill to transform) to Chloe. Marinette hadn't paid much mind to the man who had helped her, only that he seemed to know exactly what to do. And Tikki was special.

"If you know about Tikki and this book...then you probably didn't fall for it when I told you she was a special breed of cat, huh?"

He smiled and shook his head. "My name is Fu. And I am the guardian of the miraculous."

In awe, Marinette came to sit before him. "The guardian?" Knowing this and knowing that Tikki trusted him, she handed the book over without question. Fu took the book and flipped through the pages, his smile growing with each turn.

"This book was lost long ago", he said before going into a detailed explanation of his past with the Order of the Miraculous - training from a young age, a mistake he had made that forced him to flee, losing the peacock and the butterfly as well.

"I had always suspected whoever had the book, must also have the missing miraculous and be Hawkmoth."

Marinette froze at that. Adrien owned the book. But he couldn't possibly be Hawkmoth. He was too sweet and kind and her friend! And he had been in direct danger from Hawkmoth's actions way too much to be him. But it was still too early to be sure and she wasn't sure what Fu would do to Adrien if he was Hawkmoth.

"I, uh, found the book lying on a bench in the park", she said. "I didn't see who owned it."

Tikki gave her a look of confusion, pausing her play with Wayzz. Marinette wasn't sure what to make of the other kwami either. He seemed nice enough. But she knew neither well enough to immediately sell out her friend.

She told Tikki as much when they left Fu's place. Deciding to do some investigating, Marinette went to the school where Adrien would be having a fencing lesson. But he was nowhere to be found in either the main hall or by the lockers. She was about to search elsewhere when she heard a wailing cry from their classroom. Rushing in, she saw some of her classmates gathered around Chloe.

"What's going on?", she asked.

"It's horrible! Utterly horrible! Adrien's never coming back to school!"

Kim nodded. "He's been grounded."

"For life", Max added.

"Something about a book he took from his pops", Nino explained.

Marinette let out a sigh of relief. If the book belonged to his father, he couldn't be Hawkmoth. That was one problem solved at least. But of course, her reaction didn't go over well with Chloe.

"What was that?! Are you happy that he's never coming back?!"

"Nononono!", she said quickly. "It's just that, I thought it was serious-I mean it's serious, but not serious, you know? I'm sure it's just a misunderstanding. And we can fix it!", she assured them all as she backed out of the class and ran off.

Kim scratched his chin. "You think Adrien stole a dirty mag from his dad?"

* * *

Marinette got far away enough and transformed. The more she thought about it, the more it made sense that Hawkmoth was Gabriel instead of Adrien. Cold and reclusive, he didn't really have a lot of alibis as far as akuma attacks went. She landed on a roof and used her yo-yo to contact Cat Noir. If her suspicions were right, they would have the fight of their lives on their hands.

He didn't answer, so she left a voicemail, telling him she had a lead on their nemesis. Ladybug wished there was a way to contact him out of costume, but that was one of the burdens of secret identities.

He did turn up eventually though and it was time to drop the bomb on him.

"I think Hawkmoth may be Gabriel Agreste", she said.

He fumbled at that, a rare sight from him but the information was truly something shocking. Gabriel Agreste was a famous public figure, after all.

"Do you...have any proof?", he asked in a small voice.

Ladybug herself fumbled at that, not expecting Cat Noir to ask for evidence. Usually he trusted her intuition without fail. Although, counting on her to find a way to use her Lucky Charm wasn't in the same league as accusing a man for crimes against humanity. But she couldn't tell him about the book nor Master Fu just yet. It was all too much information that even she didn't fully comprehend just yet.

And then she'd have to explain where the book came from and explain why she'd been following Adrien Agreste around and possibly allude to her civilian life and it was just...too much.

"I...don't have any concrete proof. Not yet."

"And...I'm just supposed to believe you?!", Cat Noir shot back at her.

"You have to trust me for now. Whatever the result turns out to be, I'll explain myself later. But you have to admit that it adds up", Ladybug began. "He hardly leaves the house and would have plenty of opportunity to akumatize someone without being noticed."

Cat Noir looked off into the distance, as if considering something. Ladybug wasn't sure what more there was to think about. The pieces were all there, now they just had to see if it fit.

"Let's get to the bottom of this", he said, his voice uncharacteristically serious.

"Hey, are you okay?", she asked, figuring he was hardening himself for what might be the final confrontation.

"Yeah, let's just go."

The arrived at the Agreste mansion and stayed on the roof, scoping out the surrounding area first before going inside. Ladybug had been here a couple times both in and out of costume and she was always disturbed by the lack of warmth, both in the sleek but unyielding decor and in the general atmosphere. They checked the office first only to find it in shambles.

"Something must have upset him", Ladybug noted as she looked around. Her eyes then landed on Cat Noir, staring at the floor. She came next to him and saw that before his feet was a child's drawing of a family. She put a hand on his shoulder. "Are you sure you're okay?"

"Yeah", he said, although his expression didn't change. He looked so lonely. And for some reason that face reminded her of Adrien.

"He has a son!", she exclaimed with a gasp.

They bolted out of the office to find him only to be met with Gabriel Agreste. Or rather, the Collector. He tossed his book at them and they saw how it absorbed objects into pages before returning to him like a boomerang. They were in trouble if either of them got caught. The fight moved up the stairs and into Adrien's room, where they barricaded the door.

The first thing she noticed once inside was absolutely no Adrien. "Where is he?"

"Maybe the Collector got him", Cat Noir suggested.

"Would he do that to his own son?"

"If he's Hawkmoth, he's been putting his son in worse danger than that", Cat Noir said when a thought came to him. "But if he's been akumatized, he can't be Hawkmoth!"

"Maybe", Ladybug said, not entirely sure. She wasn't sure whether or not she wanted Gabriel to be Hawkmoth. On the one hand if he was and they defeated him, their fight would be over. On the other hand, it would mean Adrien's father was a supervillain. And what would happen to him then? She had no more time to think about it as the Collector fought his way in.

Her Lucky Charm was stranger than normal, but she eventually figured out a way to use it to fill up the Collector's pages and render his weapon useless. The moment that Gabriel was de-akumatized and regained his senses, he was looking for his son.

"Heeeeee must be hiding", Cat Noir said.

"Nothing must happen to him", Gabriel said, voice full of conviction.

"I'm sure he'll turn up", Ladybug smiled. Although she had to admit that it was a strange habit of Adrien's. Either he was right in the middle of danger or nowhere to be found. She and Cat Noir left the mansion but before parting ways, she had this to say.

"We're going to transform back soon, so I can't say much. But there's a guardian of the miraculous in the city. He chose us and I think he can tell us more about the miraculous and Hawkmoth as well."

Cat Noir's eyes widened. "A guardian? Where? How did you find him? Does he know our secret identities?"

Their jewels beeped their warning sound then and Ladybug frowned. "Later. I promise."

* * *

Back at Fu's, Marinette finally felt sure enough to tell him the truth about where she had found the book.

"I'm sorry for hiding it from you. But we had just met and I...wasn't quite sure if I could...", her shoulders slouched and her head bowed as she looked up at him through her bangs. It was times like this she was glad for her long hair. It felt easier to hide behind when she feared admonition. But Fu just smiled sagely.

"I understand, Marinette. We had just met after all. I thank you for opening up to me."

"Phew", she breathed out. "Oh, but if he might be Hawkmoth, there's no way we can return the book. Not when you need to decipher it. Which means Adrien will never be able to come back to school!"

While Marinette was emotionally spiraling, Fu continued to smile as he got up and took out the book. "There's not a single problem that can't be solved." He set the book on a table and began to take picture of it with his phone. Once all the pages were photographed, he gave the book back to Marinette. Peppiness restored, she made her way right back over to Adrien's house and presented the book to the security camera to get inside.

Once past the gate and the doors, Gabriel was waiting on the stairs, slightly elevated, making him even more intimidating. The giant picture behind him didn't help any. She tried to remind herself she had just fought him while he was decked out in a tacky outfit but that didn't help much.

"I saw Adrien with it and when I snuck a peek it looked like a book of fashion inspirations and I'm always looking for muses so I um, borrowed it and I meant to give it back but you had already pulled him from school so I came back to return it and uh", she quickly held the book out while bowing, "Please don't blame him for this."

Nathalie took the book and Gabriel regarded the girl before him. "You're the girl who won my hat contest, aren't you?"

"Yes! I mean yes", she amended, trying to keep her volume low. "Marinette Dupain." If she wanted to be recognized in the fashion world, she had to get people to remember her name.

"Well, seeing as Adrien didn't actually lose my book, I see no reason to keep him away from school."

"Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!", she said, forgetting to keep her voice quiet in her excitement. Nathalie led her out through the door, but then something occurred to her. "If you don't mind me asking, how'd you come across that book? The designs are...really unique."

"I found it overseas while on a trip with my wife", he answered. "I've never found another like it."

Marinette nodded at that response and left the house. Gabriel Agreste probably didn't even connect the idea of the miraculous to that book. The general public didn't know much about the magic jewels, much less that there was more than the three currently in out in the world. To him, it was probably a book of hero-inspired outfits that just happened to include ladybug and black cat.

The next day, when Adrien returned to school, Marinette was right there with everyone else, welcoming him back. When they hugged and he smiled at her, she felt her heart do strange flips in her chest.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> yall know what they say about the butterfly effect. as it goes farther and farther, those ripples get bigger and bigger
> 
> we getting to the big ripples yall
> 
> anyways, hope yall are ready for a lot of Chloe because Despair Bear is next!


	15. Despair Bear

Chloe crossed her arms, totally disinterested in the current lesson going on. Alya's mother had come in to show them how to make a dish that apparently tied into what they were currently learning but Chloe couldn't be bothered with whatever it was. If she wanted food, she just had to order it. There wasn't a point in her learning how to cook.

She looked to the rest of the class, gathered around the front to watch the woman work. They looked like fools. Especially that Marinette Dupain. Chloe really couldn't stand her. She thought she was so smart and pretty. Well! Chloe was smarter and prettier than her and she dressed better. What did Dupain have that she didn't? Nothing at all.

And yet, Adrien was hanging around Marinette and her friends more and more. Marinette didn't even have friends before this year and then suddenly she was Miss Popularity. She was even class rep now! How could that happen? Chloe glared at Marinette, remembering more and more slights against her and having her ire build up. Chloe had thought she had put the brat in her place all those years ago in kindergarten.

But something about her had changed. Chloe had never been challenged like this before, not for control of the class and certainly not for Adrien's attention. But just the other day, Chloe had invited Adrien to come over to the hotel and he couldn't because he had a Chinese lesson. And then for some reason he mentioned Marinette! Apparently they were learning together?

She took up Adrien's time at school and after and now this? What was next, taking fencing with him? Learning piano together? Chloe had been so caught up in her thoughts that she missed everything else that happened and soon the lesson was over, everyone in the middle of tasting Mrs. Cesaire's food. Ms. Bustier stepped out to take care of something while Mrs. Cesaire left to collect her things from the school's cafeteria and leave.

"Aren't you going to try some Chloe?", Adrien asked.

Chloe's face twisted. She liked that Adrien was paying attention to her now and offering her food, but not when it came from Miss Four-Eyes Reporter.

"I'd rather eat food off the floor."

"You _do_ know Mrs. Cesaire is the head chef at your father's hotel, don't you?", Marinette smirked.

Chloe's face turned red at that, so she quickly turned to Adrien. "Adrikins~ Why don't we go to my place after school today? We can order some sushi", she enticed him with a fluttering of her lashes.

"Actually, a bunch of us were going over to Marinette's today. She-"

"You're going with her again!?", Chloe shouted, cutting off whatever he was going to say. "What about me?! Why is she so important to you now? She's nothing!"

"Chloe! Marinette's my friend. You can't say that kind of stuff about her", Adrien reprimanded.

She deflated at that. "But...I'm your friend."

"If you can't be nice to other people and respect them, then we can't be friends", Adrien said, laying down the ultimatum.

* * *

"Dude, I never thought you'd tell Chloe off like that", Nino said. "Aren't you two like, childhood friends?"

Adrien let out a breath. "That's exactly why I had to say something. Marinette's my friend too." He smiled warmly at her, which she returned with one of her own.

"Are mannequins supposed to talk?", Roland asked, snapping the pages of his newspaper straight. He sat in his chair, reading while watching the teenagers in his living room. Adrien and Nino's mouths clamped shut while Marinette and Alya snickered behind their hands. Roland had no interest in fashion, being the ever-changing medium it was.

So while he didn't understand Marinette's love for it, he did see the use in a girl learning to mend, sew, and knit. And he certainly wasn't going to be much help teaching her. So when she had asked for her friends to come over and be her personal mannequins, he saw no reason to object, even if they were boys and one girl with too many opinions.

Plus, he would be watching and the boys would be keeping their hands to themselves. They couldn't move at all. It was the perfect set up to him. Marinette was taking some of Roland's old clothes from his youth and re-tailoring them. Nino had another idea for a short film.

"Am I doing this right?", Alya asked.

"Ow! So not dude!", Nino cried when a pin poked him.

Alya tried fixing it when he phone buzzed in her pocket. Nino, Adrien, and Marinette's did as well, but Alya was the first to pick it up and look at the message.

"Chloe? She just invited me to a party tonight."

Marinette checked her own phone, seeing the same invite. Adrien and Nino probably got the same, but their hands were currently tied.

"Do you think she's up to something?", Marinette asked.

"Doubt it", Nino said. "Chloe's not one for elaborate schemes. If she was trying to get back at someone, she'd just cyberbully them."

Alya smirked. "Yeah, I think if we go, we don't need to fear any 'Carrie' situations. What do you think Adrien?"

"I think this might be Chloe's way of apologizing. We should give her a chance."

"No parties!", Roland denied, having followed most of their conversation. "Marinette, you are not leaving this house. It is too late."

"Uh, but sir, it's not a real party", Alya said quickly. "It's just a little friendly get together!"

"And it's to help a friend", Nino added. "Chloe doesn't get along with everyone, see? So Marinette is gonna help with her social skills, duuu-sir!"

Roland looked to Adrien, waiting to see what he had to say about all this. His eyes didn't meet the older man's at first. Adrien couldn't lie outright to people. But he could hide select parts of the truth.

"Having Marinette there would be a big help", he said, finally meeting Roland's eyes. "If she's not, this whole thing might fail."

Roland's lips were in a thin, straight line as he slowly folded his newspaper and laid it in his lap. He got up and approached Marinette who was kneeling beside Adrien, having been working on his pants.

"Don't be late for dinner", he said.

"Thank you thank you thank you!", Marinette exclaimed, shooting up and wrapping her arms around him.

"Young ladies shouldn't get so out of control and excited", Roland reminded her, even though he didn't mind the hug.

Once Adrien and Nino got changed, they left and went off to the hotel, each of them wondering just what Chloe had in store for them. When the arrived, the rest of the class was there. Chloe moved around the room and it actually seemed like she was trying to be a good host and make sure everyone enjoyed their time.

"Aren't I being such a good person, Adrikins~?", she asked, hanging off his arm when she was finally able to get close to him.

"Yeah, I'm really proud of you, Chlo'", he said, giving her shoulder a pat.

"Wanna dance?", she asked, barely waiting for an answer before dragging him off to the dance floor.

Adrien was happy to dance with his friend, even when it turned to a slow song. For the longest time, Chloe had been his only friend. And she knew the specific kind of loneliness that came from having a neglectful parent. But Adrien had other friends now. And he wanted all of them to get along. He didn't want to leave Chloe behind, but also he couldn't be friends with the person she was turning into.

The song ended and Adrien felt a tap on his shoulder. He turned to see Kim.

"Mind if I have the next dance?"

Adrien parted from Chloe and handed her off to him, missing the look of disgust on her face as he did. Adrien left the dance floor, passing by Alya and Nino as he did, he went over to the refreshments table. Marinette was there, nursing a cup of punch. He poured one for himself and took a sip.

"Do you really think she's changed?", Marinette asked.

"I think she's trying. And that's the important part", Adrien said.

Marinette looked skeptical. She wanted to believe that people could change. But Chloe had been cruel for so long, could she really make the switch overnight?

"May I have this dance?", Adrien asked, holding a hand out to her.

"Uh, I don't really know how to dance", Marinette blushed.

"That's alright. I don't know how to dance to this kind of music either", Adrien said. Only then did Marinette notice the dj was playing some kind of swing music with a hip-hop beat to it. "But I don't think anyone else really knows what to do either."

Their classmates were doing their best, trying to swing. Only Alya and Nino really looked in sync. Feeling a bit better about her own dancing skills, Marinette took Adrien's hand on they got on the floor. At first, it was simply about getting a rhythm with the music, then a rhythm with each other. And then, they were swinging. Marinette soon forgot about getting home on time or about Chloe's path to goodness.

All that mattered was the music and Adrien's hand in hers. She was so into it, that she didn't notice Chloe stomping towards them before it was too late. And by too late, it was when her butler stood between them and Chloe, waving a stuffed bear in front of everyone.

"Aww, is that your little teddy bear?", Kim asked, no hint of malice in his voice.

But Chloe took it to be the greatest humiliation and forced her butler into the kitchen, no doubt telling him off. Marinette pulled away from Adrien. She hoped that Chloe had learned a little something from today and wasn't being too hard on him.

"You guys were really great out there", Alya said.

Marinette laughed sheepishly. She had no explanation for that. It was just like Adrien knew where to be at just the right moment. Sometimes she followed his lead, sometimes he followed hers. It had almost been like when she...well when she fought alongside Cat Noir.

The song changed again to something poppy and she and Adrien danced again until Chloe ran between them, chased after Sabrina. They watched as a teddy bear hopped off Sabrina's leg and onto Kim's who was shielding Chloe, before he turned on her too.

"I uh, gotta go to the bathroom!", Marinette said before taking off.

Adrien sped off to find a private area as well. Moments later, Ladybug and Cat Noir came back to a room where whoever the bear was attached to went after Chloe. And every time they accosted one, the bear just jumped off of them and stuck itself to another person. Just as Ladybug was trying to figure out how to defeat a teddy bear, Cat Noir got himself possessed.

That was more than enough of a reason to call upon her Lucky Charm. Which gave her a fork. Which was fine. She knew by now that she had to figure out a way to use it that would all make sense in the end. The most important part was getting away from the party. It would reduce the number of people Despair Bear could cling on to. Ladybug bolted upstairs and Cat Noir ran after her, not realizing that Chloe had gone after the two of them as well.

Downstairs, everyone was trying to come to terms with what had just happened. But mostly Nino was trying to keep Alya from going up the stairs as well.

"This is a rare moment to up close footage in HD!", she said.

"We need to let the heroes do their job. Besides, don't you think we should come up with an explanation for Marinette. The sun's gone down, her grandpops will be really mad after all this."

"I think he'll forgive her after we tell him an akuma attack happened."

Nino crossed his arms. "You think he'll be that forgiving? Where'd she go anyway? And Adrien too?"

"Probably a place to hide. That girl is so skittish", Alya said. "Maybe she and Adrien are together", she winked.

"Y-you really think so?", Nino squeaked.

"Yeah, you see them on the dance floor? They've got great chemistry."

"We were great on the dance floor", Nino pointed out. "Does that mean we have great chemistry?"

Alya looked him up and down before smirking. "I think there could be something bubbling between us."

Nino felt his face get warm and before he could sputter himself into oblivion, Chloe returned. And soon after so did Marinette and Adrien. The party continued after, Marinette deciding not to worry about getting home on time and simply enjoying her time with her friends. When she did return, Roland told her she was grounded, but when she remembered the joy of dancing with Adrien, she knew it was worth it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have made my decision on Befana and since it happens after the fashion show, I will be putting it closer to the end of this season which works perfectly for what I have planned for Roland and Gina in regards to Marinette
> 
> anyway!
> 
> Up next: Prime Queen and maybe a lesser akuma if I can squeeze it (im lookin at you Gigantitan)


	16. Prime Queen [REDACTED]

Cat Noir stood on a roof as the sun began to set. Winter would be arriving in full force any day now and the chill had begun to set in as it got dark. He didn't feel much of it through his suit though, thankfully. But it wasn't the kind of outfit that would protect him if it got too cold. Tonight he was supposed to appear as one half of Paris' superhero duo on a prime time spot.

But earlier, Ladybug had told him that she probably wouldn't be able to come. She had something keeping her. He wanted to know what could cause her to break her engagement but she held firm that the less they knew about each other, the better. That didn't extend to the identity of their patron though. As promised, Ladybug had told him everything before rushing off to whatever she had to get to.

_Akuma purified and civilian safe, Ladybug fixed the damage and then brought Cat Noir to a narrow alleyway to speak._

_"I met the man who gave us our miraculous. I can't get into how I did, but he knows our secret identities, so we should be careful."_

_"Do you think he's got a secret game?", Cat Noir asked._

_Ladybug shook her head. "I just think he's really careful with his secrets. Which means he'll be careful with ours."_

_She pulled something out of the white void in her yo-yo, a slip of paper with an address._

Ladybug instructed him to visit that place as his civilian self and meet the man himself. Cat Noir had received that information a few days ago and he hadn't gone yet. He wasn't sure what was waiting for him there. Would it be some kind of cosmic, magical destiny?

There had to be a reason he was chosen. A part of him feared that it was the exact opposite. That if he went there, the man would tell him it had all been a mistake and ask him to return the miraculous. He would lost Plagg, his freedom as Cat Noir, and most importantly, his lady. He had to prove that he was worthy of this power before meeting him.

And that was what tonight was for. If Ladybug couldn't be there, he'd be enough of a hero for the both of them. Resolve strengthened, he hopped off the roof top and made his way to the studio.

* * *

Marinette was nearing the end of her grounding, the week almost up. And she was glad for it. Both as Marinette and as Ladybug. Marinette would be happy to be able to say yes to her friends' invitations. Ladybug would be happy to not have to sneak out whenever an akuma appeared in the middle of the night. That night, she had spent most of the early evening in the living room, spending time with her grandfather.

She had been sewing holes in his shirts while he whittled and music played from their radio. She was reminded of her dance with Adrien. Marinette checked the time and finished up the hole she was currently mending before getting up with an exaggerated yawn.

"I think I'll turn in now. Good night, grandpa", she said, giving him a kiss on top of his head before heading into her room.

The moment she closed her door, she broke out her cell and headphones. She might not be able to be by her partner's side tonight, but she could support him from the audience. Marinette pulled up a livestream of the show just as it was beginning.

"We're here tonight with Paris' own, Cat Noir", Nadja announced as the camera showed a shot of the feline hero himself, giving a casual salute. "We had been expecting Ladybug to join us as well."

"She had a prior engagement to uphold, but don't worry. That just means I can share more juicy stories without her to hold me back", he winked.

Marinette rolled her eyes. He was laying it on thick tonight.

Nadja started with some softball questions - what he did when he wasn't saving Paris, how he liked to relax, was it hot in all that leather. Cat Noir answered them all with the ease of someone who did this for a living. Marinette found herself wondering for a moment just who he was under that mask. Maybe he was a celebrity? It would explain how comfortable he was around cameras.

She stopped those thoughts right there. Figuring out his identity was against the rules. It was just in time as Nadja began asking her more hard-hitting questions. Cat Noir had said something about their compatible partnership and the reporter took this opportunity to ask what everyone had been thinking.

"It's obvious that you and Ladybug are very close. Is it true that you're partners outside of fighting crime?"

"She and I have separate lives as civilians, as much as it pains me", Cat Noir answered, putting a hand to his chest.

"So you two aren't dating?", Nadja clarified.

Cat Noir shook his head. "As much as I adore My Lady, my feelings haven't been returned just yet."

"I'm sure you have many adoring fans of your own."

"And I appreciate their support. But my heart only belongs to one", he said, blowing a kiss to the camera.

Marinette felt her heart thumping. Just how serious were Cat Noir's feelings for her? It was hard to tell sometimes. He said those words so casually that it was difficult to believe he meant them, but then he had such a soulful look in his eyes. It made Marinette's own heart ache. Would things be different if they had met another way?

The hardest part of this was believing that someone could have these feelings for her at all. She wasn't anything special, after all. Cat Noir's interview ended after a few more questions and Nadja thanked him for joining her. Only when the program ended and Marinette put her phone down did she realize her cheeks were stiff from smiling so much.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Up next is Riposte!


	17. Riposte

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Adrien likes women who can kick his ass.

Marinette entered the school, looking around at the various masked figures. This afternoon, the hall was reserved for fencing. It was why she was here in fact. Although she didn't have much interest in the sport itself, she was helping Nathaniel with a little art project. It involved sword fighting, for which she was to design the clothes the characters would wear.

And to get a better picture of what would be most comfortable, watching modern sword fighting was the way to go. She had gotten permission to observe today's class, so long as she didn't disturb the students. Immediately, she sought out Adrien, but it was hard to find him when everyone except the instructor had their face covered. She saw one bout end though, and approached as the victory helped the defeated up from the ground.

"Excuse me, I'm looking for Adrien Agreste. He's supposed to be here."

"Adrien Agreste, huh? You sure you don't want to hang around a better fencer?"

Marinette's eyebrows scrunched together. "And you're so sure you're a better fencer? I bet Adrien fences circles around you."

The one who dared to badmouth her friend removed his mask, revealing Adrien himself. "You really think that highly of me?"

"Well I-you-I mean-", Marinette blushed as she stammered. But then her embarrassment was replaced with indignation. "Just what were you trying to pull?"

"Sorry, I couldn't resist", Adrien apologized with a smile that said he was only a little sorry. "I'm glad you're here, even if it's just for observation. You sure you can't try out for the team?"

"I've got enough on my plate already without joining a team", Marinette said. Plus, she could just hear her grandfather's response to that. Any kind of fighting was unladylike. So fencing was a no-go. Marinette went off to the side, sketchbook in hand and taking note of the way the fencers moved. She planned to ask Adrien for his personal input as well whenever there was a break.

It was right as this break began that someone entered, wearing a red suit, their mask hiding their identity. They approached Mr. D'argencourt and demanded to be let into his class. When he told him that the class was full and that was that, the stranger then demanded a duel to prove their prowess. Intrigued, Mr. D'argencourt looked to Adrien, who accepted the match as the best student in the class.

Marinette held her sketchbook tightly, following the math with wide eyes. She didn't know a thing about the rules regarding fencing, but luckily one of the other students answered all of her questions helpfully.

Gradually, the match got more and more intense until Adrien and his opponent began moving through the school. Everyone, including Mr. D'argencourt, ran after them, trying to see who would win. At one point, a book cart was pushed out of the way and everyone moved to the side to avoid it. Poor Mr. D'argencourt wasn't as lucky.

Marinette avoided all of the chaos by going up the opposite stairs and getting to see Adrien and the other fencer going at it in the library. It was one of the most incredible things she'd ever gotten to watch up close. And then all too soon it was done.

"Who got the point?!"

"Huh? Oh! Uh...", Marinette stalled, trying to recall specific parts of that battle as everyone else caught up.

"Yes, who won?", Mr. D'argencourt asked.

Marinette closed in on herself as she looked back and forth between Adrien and the fencer in red. "I think, uh, maybe, Adrien got it?"

While the instructor cheered, Adrien flipped up his mask. He knew Marinette meant well. But things were going too fast. It was unfair to ask her to be the judge. The other fencer walked off calmly, but before leaving the school threw down their weapon. Adrien chased after them. He needed to have a more decisive match. Not just because he wanted to be sure of the winner, but also just for the thrill of it.

He'd been the best in the class for a while and it was the first time he'd actually been challenged. Adrien thought this person was more than deserving of a spot in the fencing school.

"Hey! Wait up!", he called out, chasing them to their car. "I want a rematch."

They turned and removed their mask and for a moment, Adrien was speechless. She was beautiful. And he perhaps had a thing for pretty girls who could beat him in a fight. He tried really hard not to think about Ladybug right now but with the girl's red outfit and dark hair it was rather difficult.

"Let's...have a...deciding match", he somewhat struggled through the words as the girl stared at him.

"It's no use", she said. "In my family, there are no second chances."

She got in her car and drove away. Not one to give up easily, Adrien got in his own car and ordered his bodyguard to follow after it. Marinette had chased after Adrien as well, missing her chance to stop either car but coming out just in time to see an akuma fly after a victim. She gave pursuit while Adrien was riding away, unaware of any impending danger.

He was busy looking up the symbol he had seen the girl wearing and finding out more about her. It was in the middle of this that his car was sliced in half. There was only one way a person could be powerful enough to do that. Sure enough, that girl from before had been akumatized and demanded a match, claiming to have changed her mind.

"I can't fight you like this!", Adrien refused. She wasn't herself. She was being controlled by Hawkmoth.

But she could be stubborn too, it seemed, and began attacking Adrien. He dodged out of the way. He had to find an opening to run away and transform. Then Ladybug appeared and Adrien felt like his guardian angel had arrived. Ladybug got between them and got the victim's attention off him, giving Adrien an out to hide and transform, but he could get away when he saw how Ladybug kept backing away from all of the attacks.

"Don't let her close in on you!", Adrien shouted. He threw the girl's discarded weapon and Ladybug caught it with ease.

"Thank you! But now you need to get somewhere safe!"

Even as she said that and started fighting again, Adrien felt glued in place. Ladybug was just too magnificent. She was no pro fencer by any means, but she knew how to hold her own, even against such an aggressive opponent. He could watch her all day like this. But all too soon, she lost her advantage and fell to the ground.

"Look out!", Adrien shouted, jumping into the fray and rolling Ladybug to safety. He tried not to swoon at being this close to her. And again when they got to their feet and she pulled him close to swing up on a roof.

"I don't think I can fight and defend you at the same time", Ladybug said, opening her yo-yo to call Cat Noir.

Adrien was very, very glad his miraculous didn't ring or vibrate or give any indication that the call was meant to go to him. He was reminded that he very much had to find an opening to transform and quick.

"I'll defeat both of you! You can't run from me!" Riposte appeared on the roof, pointing her sword at the both of them. "I'll prove I'm the best fencer!"

"No one's denying that", Adrien said. "My friend Marinette just made a bad call, but it wasn't her fault either."

"Referee mistakes happen all the time", Ladybug added.

But Riposte, like most akumas, wasn't in the mood for reason. All she wanted was to sate her rage. "Maybe I should go after that friend of yours instead!"

While she and Ladybug went at it, Adrien found a part of the roof to hide behind. Plagg chose this time to appear, now that they were alone.

"Getting kinda risky today, aren't you?"

"I don't have much of a choice", Adrien sighed. There wasn't a lot of room for him to work with. "We gotta get out there fast. Once Adrien Agreste disappears, she'll go for Marinette. Plagg! Cla-"

"Adrien? Are you okay?", Ladybug asked, having taken care of Riposte temporarily.

"Yeah, I'm fine", he smiled.

She grabbed him again and Adrien tried to ignore the fact that she smelled nice. Almost like fresh bread. Ladybug took him the the Louvre and alerted the patrons to an akuma on the way. A voice came over the intercom system to evacuate the building. It was incredible how used to this whole akuma thing the city had become in just a few months.

"Stay here and don't move", Ladybug said after situating Adrien into an empty sarcophagus.

The moment she left, Adrien felt like bursting out. He wouldn't quite say he was claustrophobic, but he really disliked being enclosed anywhere. After arguing over it with Plagg, he transformed and left the ancient coffin to help his partner.

The day was saved with a radiator of all things and Cat Noir quickly found a place to turn back. His hiding place had been revealed to be empty when Riposte attacked the sarcophagus, so he found another place just in time to hear Ladybug call his name. He once again, did his very best to focus on her actual words instead of getting lost in her eyes.

Her earrings began beeping and she made her exit, leaving the fencing implement with him. Adrien found the girl outside and managed to get her to take it back this time.

"Don't be mad at Marinette. She gets flustered easily, but she'd never cheat on my behalf. She's always fair", Adrien explained.

"She's really important to you, isn't she?"

"Marinette? Of course. She's a really good friend." The answer came to Adrien as easily as breathing air. Marinette was incredibly dear to him. He didn't know what he'd have done if Riposte did try going after her today. "You'll find out for yourself when you get to know her." He reached his hand out and formally introduced himself. That was when he got her name.

"Kagami. Don't think I'll go so easy on you next time", she said, a playful smile on her lips.

She turned to get into her car and Adrien got the feeling that if his heart wasn't already spoken for...And then for some reason his mind brought up Marinette. Adrien texted his bodyguard to meet him at the Louvre.

"Plagg, why is love so hard?", he asked as they waited.

"Could it be because you're the kind of guy to drool at cheeses in the window instead of actually buying one?", Plagg said.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"I mean, stop window-shopping for love and actual make a purchase. Preferably with someone more attainable."

Adrien pondered over his kwami's words. He understood Plagg's meaning. Ladybug wasn't attainable. For several reasons. There were many out there he could potentially be with. But he couldn't just switch his feelings like that. For now, he decided to be content with her friendship. Even if girls similar to her appeared, there was only one Ladybug.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Up next is Gigantitan I was gonna skim or even skip it but I found a way to make that an important chapter.


	18. Gigantitan

The guys were all once again gathered in Nino's room. Except this time, Adrien as there as well. He was looking around in wonder at all the things Nino put that were essentially pieces of himself. The posters of his favorite musicians, the bookshelf that held comics, CDs, movies, and a few photos. He even marveled at the view of Nino's bedroom window.

It wasn't much, just the street that ran by, but it was what Nino woke up to every morning.

"This is great. I don't get to hang out at a friend's house that often."

"Yeah, I know", Nino said, trying to sound annoyed but failing. It was actually kind of cute how Adrien reacted to every new thing with such eagerness. "But that's not why we're here."

"Why are we here?", Kim asked. "I could be at the pool right now."

"Dude, it's the middle of winter", Nino said.

"January to be exact", Max added. "Although I suppose if you dry off properly, the cold won't bother you. If only I had any faith in you doing that."

"I like to drip sometimes", Kim grinned.

"And that's why you get sick so easily", Max said.

"Guys! Focus!", Nino said, prompting Ivan and Nathaniel to look up from their respective notebooks. Ivan had been writing lyrics while Nathaniel had been drawing.

Adrien sat still, looking very much like a teacher's pet awaiting a lesson as Nino rolled out a whiteboard covered in plans. Max extended a pointing rod to bring attention to different parts of the plan.

"What is all this?", Adrien asked.

Nino cleared his throat and fiddled with his hat. "I uh, you see, it turns out that I um, I uh, I kinda have a crush on um, you know-"

"It's called the 'Ask Alya Out Plan'", Nathaniel pointed out, gesturing his pencil to the top of the whiteboard.

"You have a crush on Alya?", Kim asked.

Nino nodded, face warm. Max took control over explaining the plan, seeing as Nino's lips were sealed for the moment.

"Today's a day off, so normally Alya would either be at home, watching her sisters, or out with the girls. We know for a fact that today, she's going shopping with Marinette because of intel from Adrien."

"I didn't realize it was 'intel' when you asked me what Marinette was doing this weekend, Nino", Adrien said, grinning at his friend.

"Recon missions have to be done with the utmost secrecy, bro."

Max started pointing out steps in the plan. "We'll be using codenames so pay attention. The goal is to get the Wolf, that's Nino, alone with the Doe, that's Alya."

"That's not the first animal I'd associate her with", Nathaniel said.

"Yeah", Adrien agreed. "She's more like a tiger." Always on the hunt, always on the prowl for a good story.

"Anyway, the Doe will be at the mall with the Rabbit, Marinette", Max continued. "It's up to the Bear and the Rooster to keep an eye on them without drawing too much attention to themselves", he pointed at Ivan and Nathaniel.

"Once spotted, the Lion will come in and separate the Rabbit from the Doe. That's your job, my dude", Nino said to Adrien.

"What about me? What's my mission?", Kim asked excitedly.

"The mission for the Dog is to be on standby in case we need a distraction", Max explained. "As the eagle, I'll be our eyes in the sky, monitoring the security cameras. After the Rabbit is taken care of, the Wolf will come up to the Doe and just so happen to have two tickets to a movie that starts that hour."

"I planned to go with the Lion, but since he's with the Rabbit, I'll invite Alya and she'll see you two together and agree to come with me", Nino finished. "It's foolproof!"

"Codenames & hacking mall security? This all just seems too complicated", Adrien said. "Why don't you just ask her out?"

"Have you seen me when I try and talk to her about anything like that?!", Nino exclaimed. "No way is that happening. We stick to the plan and I can get a date with her. It'll work."

"Yeah, but only if Alya actually wants to go with you", Nathaniel said.

Ivan nodded, almost sagely. No one could get that girl to do something she didn't want to do. Even if Marinette had gone off with Adrien, it didn't mean Alya would go off with Nino. What he didn't mention was that he and Mylene were pretty sure Alya had a thing for Nino too. The two of them talked about that kind of thing and agreed it was better for them to figure it out on their own.

"Guys, just do me a solid. I'll be in your debts", Nino said.

* * *

"Ooh, this is a cute top!", Alya held up a pink tank top that had a floral pattern.

"It is cute...but...", Marinette trailed off. She was trying to slowly incorporate more things into her wardrobe, but she still wasn't used to doing things like showing too much skin in public. With that, her arms, shoulders, and parts of her chest and back would show.

"Okay, we'll try something else", Alya said. "But you know you don't need to wear it on its own. You could wear a shirt under it, or a jacket over it."

Marinette gave the tank top a second look. As interested as she was in fashion, sometimes it was hard to apply some of the concepts, even one as simple as layering, to herself.

"Rabbit and Doe are in my sights", Nathaniel said into an earpiece, watching the pair of girls while pretending to peruse the shop.

"Copy that", Max replied. He was sitting in the food court, at a table in the corner, watching the security feed from multiple cameras on his laptop. "Lion, make your move."

"Roger that", Adrien said, fully into this now. He entered the store and approached Marinette as she looked over pairs of socks with characters on them. He struck up a conversation with her and that was when Nino took the opportunity to walk over to Alya.

"Uh", Ivan started. "We might have a problem. Chloe's here. And she's headed right for Alya!"

"Kim! Diversion! Now!", Max ordered.

Kim ran into the store and waved his arms around. "There's a giant baby outside!"

Everyone stared while Max palmed his forehead. "You couldn't come up with a more believable thing to shout?" Then he heard the rumbling and he switched to the cameras outside the mall. "There's...there's actually a giant baby rampaging the city."

Alya, who had come to believe most unbelievable things, felt the ground shaking beneath her and smiled wide. "It must be an akuma! I've gotta get this for the Ladyblog!"

"Are you crazy?", Nino said, grabbing her arm. "If there is a giant baby, it'll squash you like a bug. We gotta get the others and get outta here!"

Just as he turned to get Marinette and Adrien, the space by the socks was empty. They must've already found a place to hide. Alya pulled out of his hold and ran towards the exit. Nino groaned before following her. When they got outside, they saw the monster-sized baby giving Ladybug and Cat Noir some trouble. He went along as Alya tried to get a closer look.

Max started speaking through the connection. "Nino, I rewound the tapes and saw something fly into the baby's bracelet before he turned big. That could be the key to stopping it. You've gotta tell the heroes."

"Uh, will do...somehow", he said as he watched them flying through the air. "I gotta get their attention."

"Which means, you've gotta keep the baby busy right?", Alya reasoned.

"You got any toys or candy?", he asked.

"No, but the mall does", she grinned.

A couple minutes later, the two of them were running out of a toy store, promising to bring back the giant stuffed teddy bear they were carrying out. They got in the line of sight of the baby and held the teddy above their heads like a sacrifice while shouting.

"What are they doing?", Ladybug questioned, pausing as the baby turned away and waddled towards the pair with the bear. Nino left Alya with the doll to carefully lead the baby away while he shouted to the two heroes.

"Ladybug! Cat Noir! The bracelet!", he shouted, pointing to the baby's wrist.

"Sharp eyes", Cat Noir said. "Do you think there's an owl miraculous?"

"Focus, Cat. Thank you!", Ladybug yelled to Nino. "Now get to safety! Lucky Charm!"

Her charm summoned a toothbrush. Nino didn't get to see how Ladybug used it, having been busy trying to get Alya back into the mall. He was panting while she glared at him. Nino looked at her, all fiery passion and no-nonsense. He thought about how he had just started down a kaiju-sized baby while holding a mega teddy bear over his head.

It kind of put everything in perspective.

"Alya, will you go out with me?"

* * *

"I told you it was that easy", Adrien said over the phone later that day. He had been called home, needing to practice his piano.

"Only because I realized I could have died today, dude", Nino collapsed onto his bed. "You need to teach Alya your tricks for hiding. I swear you always know where to go to get safe."

Adrien chuckled nervously. "I'm just lucky", he said, ignoring the snicker from the embodiment of bad luck floating nearby. "So what did you talk about on your date?"

"Music, movies, her blog, you and Marinette-", Nino replied before quickly cutting himself off.

"Marinette and I? What about us?"

"Oh nothing! Just you guys. You guys separately. As friends. Because what else would we talk about? Nothing. There's nothing else to talk about!" Certainly not about how Alya was noticing what appeared to be budding feelings. And how great it would be if her sheltered friend ended up having a romance with the most chivalrous guy in their class.

"I've never been on a date, so I don't know what's normal to talk about", Adrien said.

"Talking about your friends is normal! Both separate and together. Not that Alya and I think about you and Marinette being together though, so don't worry about that!"

"Uh, okay? Well, I hope things work out well for you and Alya. You guys have a good balance."

"Thanks dude. I hope so too."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> their animals didn't have any correlation besides the fact that i figure teenage boys would pick animals over flowers and just thought of the kinds Nino and Max would choose when coming up with this plan
> 
> Up next: Dark Owl


	19. Dark Owl

"So now that you and Nino are dating, are you making plans for Valentine's Day?", Marinette asked.

"I don't know if we'll make actual plans", Alya answered. "I'll probably just get him chocolates and a card."

Marinette had Alya on speakerphone while she worked on her homework. She was studying in her room that afternoon, kicking her legs lightly at her desk as she pondered over a history question.

"I just wish I had someone to spend the day with", Marinette sighed.

"You couldn't if you just asked someone out", Alya pointed out.

"Who would ever go out with me? And more importantly, how do you even ask someone out? What if I stutter, or say something wrong and they think I hate them and I can never talk to them again and we can't even be friends!"

Alya waited until she was sure that Marinette was done. "Okay, chill. There's no way that would happen. But you sound like you have someone in mind?"

Two distinctly different blondes popped up in Marinette's head and she immediately shook it from her thoughts. It was getting harder and harder to deny what she was feeling but she'd power through it for as long as she could. Before Marinette could give her answer, Alya let out a gasp.

"New hero alert! Oh...wait...ugh, it's just that owl-guy again", Alya said.

"You get hero alerts on your phone?", Marinette asked.

"Gotta stay up to date for my blog! But this is nothing. Anyway, about this person you've been thinking about-"

"Sorry Alya! Gotta go! Gotta...bake bread bye!"

She quickly hung up. Maybe one day she'd get better at her excuses. But for now, she had to stop Mr. Damocles from hurting himself. Her principal had taken to dressing up as an owl themed superhero and going out on exploits. It usually ended up badly, like today. When Ladybug and Cat Noir arrived on the scene, the Owl was tied up in his own grappling hook, having tried to help a cat down from a tree.

The bug and cat pair tried helping him down but he struggled against them and ended up falling to the ground in a heap.

"Mr. Damocles! Are you okay?!", Ladybug exclaimed.

He shot up in shock. "I'm not Mr. Damocles! I'm! The Owl! Hoo-hooo!", he announced for the nth time that day, then realized no one was buying it this time. "You! ...You revealed my secret identity!"

Ladybug and Cat Noir watched him run off, embarrassed. There wasn't much that they could do about it. They had already talked to him about the dangers of playing hero. They could only hope he wouldn't get akumatized. Deciding not to take any chances, they went on what was supposed to be a short patrol.

"So My Lady, any plans for V-Day?", Cat Noir asked as they hopped from roof to roof.

Ladybug stumbled but swiftly caught herself on a streetlamp with her yo-yo and glared up at him while she swung back and forth. He simply smiled down at her with his cattish grin.

"That's civilian business Cat", she reminded him, gently lowering herself to the ground.

Cat Noir dropped down from the roof and landed lightly on his feet next to her. "Just wanted to know if you had a beau or not."

Ladybug rolled her eyes, refusing to answer. If she did, it was as good as admitting to herself that she was interested in him now and thus wanted him to know she was available. Which she wasn't! Because she wasn't interested in him!

"My plans should have nothing to do with yours", she said, flicking his nose.

His nose twitched in response and he was about to reply when every screen on the tv turned to a man in a sinister looking owl costume. Ladybug and Cat Noir were watching through a tv in a cafe window. They went inside to get a better look.

"Ladybug and Cat Noir have made a fool of me! And now! I am the Dark Owl!"

"Oh no", Cat Noir sagged.

They watched as Mr. Damocles, or rather Dark Owl, gave his spiel across Paris and challenged the two of them, inviting them to a final showdown at the stadium. Then the tv shut off, his message sent.

"Sooo, this is a trap, right?", Cat Noir said.

Ladybug nodded. "Of course. But we can't get to his akuma without going to him."

They took off for the stadium, standing on the edge and keeping a lookout for the Dark Owl. He was there in the center, awaiting Ladybug and Cat Noir. It was decided that Cat Noir would be the distraction in order to give an opening to Ladybug so that she could get his akuma. Cat Noir seemly played his part very well, as usual, but it turned out that Dark Owl was not easily fooled.

He saw through their ruse and trapped them in a box on the stadium grounds with no way out. Cat Noir hit his baton against the walls but there was no give.

"I could cataclysm our way out", he suggested.

"Let's not use that just yet. We might need it for later", Ladybug said, trying to think of a way out.

Unable to come up with anything from what they had on hand, she summoned her Lucky Charm. It brought forth a small polka dot box and landed perfectly in her hand. There was a butterfly shaped mark on the box. Her eyes widened and she looked to her partner.

"Cat Noir, do you trust me?"

"With all of my being", he answered sincerely.

Ladybug closed her eyes and after realizing she was waiting, Cat Noir followed suit. He heard her say "Spots off" and felt a rush of adrenaline straight down to his bones. She had de-transformed. Right in front of him. Well, his eyes were closed but still! She trusted him that much!

"Claws in", he said, feeling his suit peel back. He reached out with his palm up, ring right in the center. Whatever Ladybug had planned, he had faith in it.

Dark Owl waited patiently, knowing his plan would result in victory soon enough. His resilience was rewarded when he saw a box come from the small slot in his trap. He held it in his hands with a triumphant grin and even did a little dance just barely hearing a muffled 'Cataclysm!' before his trap was destroyed, before he could react, he was pounced upon by Ladybug and Cat Noir, working in perfect harmony.

Ladybug had surmised that his akuma most likely wasn't in his weapons that he threw freely around. Which meant...

She pulled the cowl off his head, exposing his true face and ripping it in half. The black butterfly fluttered out and Ladybug caught it in her yo-yo. When Mr. Damocles turned back to normal, Ladybug knelt to his side.

"Mr. Damocles, I understand you've been inspired by us heroes, but what you're doing, it's just too dangerous."

"But there are other, more safer ways for you to help others", Cat Noir said, squatting by his other side.

"Other...ways...?"

"Like helping people across the street, or saying a few nice words to your students", Ladybug suggested.

After making sure he was okay, Ladybug and Cat Noir took off into the sky, their miraculous about to run out of time. Ladybug loved the thrill of moving through the city at top speeds.

"Cat Noir! I think I might have plans for Valentine's Day after all!", she exclaimed before they went their separate ways.

"Wha?!", Cat Noir shouted, almost faceplanting on a light pole.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> honestly, not entirely proud of this chapter, but due to several reasons, I'm just glad to get it done.


	20. Chapter 20

Trust.

It was an important part of any relationship. Whether it was friend to friend, lover to lover, or family to family. If you didn't trust one another, you couldn't even have the building blocks of a relationship. Marinette used to trust her grandfather. He was the man who had raised her, after all. Even though past experiences made her wary, she wanted to be open with him about more things.

Of course, she couldn't tell him about being Ladybug, or anything pertaining to that. But maybe she could reveal her new interests, little by little. He had to let her be her own person at some point. She couldn't be his little girl forever. Marinette could have told him about how she was getting into fashion, or how she was the class rep now, but she decided to tread more carefully, so to speak, and ask about her parents.

Rarely did Roland ever bring them up on his own. It was like he wanted to forget them. And Marinette remembered that whenever she did, it quickly turned into a lecture about how his son had thrown his life away by marrying her mother.

Marinette had learned to stop asking.

It would be the first time she would come to him with questions about her parents in a long time, possibly years now that she thought about it. She was kneading some bread with him and mentally prepared herself before speaking up.

"You and my papa used to bake bread like this, didn't you?"

"We did", he answered.

"Do you remember how they met? Him and my mm-mom?"

Roland paused, but only for a moment, continuing to knead but going rougher. "No. He showed up one day with that woman on his arm. Why should I remember anything about it?"

"Well, I just thought you could tell me more about them", Marinette ventured, trying not to shut down at the first bit of resistance like she usually did.

"My son was on his way to becoming a great baker like myself. And then he met her. And she started putting ideas in his head like using rice flour. She was going to turn his work into those-those Chinatown bakeries", Roland probably would have spit if he was working with bread.

"What's wrong with those?", Marinette asked.

"It's not tradition! It's not how it's done!"

She frowned. He always said that and yet right now it couldn't be further from the truth. "It is for Chinese people."

"We are not Chinese!", Roland shouted.

"I am!", Marinette shouted back, immediately slapping her hands over her mouth, forgetting she had flour all over them.

"Your name is Marinette Dupain. You are French. That is the only part that matters." He didn't even look at her as he said this, eyes only on the bread in front of him.

Marinette felt like she was shaking. A part of her knew it would be like this. He never had anything nice to say about her mother or that side of her family. But a part of her had hoped things had changed. That maybe he would be able to accept it coming from her. But things hadn't changed at all. She tore off her apron and stomped out of the apartment.

"Hmph. So dramatic", was all Roland had to say. He pressed on, certain that Marinette would come back out to finish baking.

* * *

"-and I should be happy for her, right? That she has someone she cares about enough to wanna spend Valentine's Day with them? That's great! But I'm only human, you know. I get jealous too. And I know it's wrong because she's not mine to get jealous over, especially after she told me outright that she doesn't have any feelings for me, but I can't help the way that I feel anymore than she can help the way she feels. You know?"

When Cat Noir had come to Fu, asking for advice regarding Ladybug, this wasn't quite what he had expected. Cat Noir continued to pace around, looking every bit like an agitated feline, prowling around a cage.

"Before we continue, perhaps you should de-transform", Fu suggested. "I do get walk-in clients."

Cat Noir did just that, returning to his form as Adrien and sitting down in front of Fu, his more reserved persona returning but that same insecurity shining through.

"I guess a part of me secretly hoped I could change her mind. That was foolish of me, huh?"

"Being in love makes fools of us all", Fu said. "But I believe you already know the solution to your problem?"

"Plagg suggested I switch my affections for food instead", Adrien said, eyeing the kwami who was currently sniffing around for a treat of some kind.

Fu sipped from his tea. "I hear foodies make a nice living and they get plenty of attention. But that is not what I mean."

"I wish I could change who I felt this strongly for, but it's not easy", Adrien said. "I mean, there's no one like Ladybug."

Plagg paused in his search for food and shared a look with Fu and Wayzz. "No one?", they asked in unison. What was hidden under their sudden synchronicity was lost on Adrien as he continued.

"But, maybe I can try. Cat Noir's got a lot of fans after all."

"You wanna romance girls as Cat Noir? Did you forget that Adrien Agreste is a model?", Plagg pointed out.

"I can't ever forget that. My father won't let me. But besides that, Adrien Agreste is just...boring. Cat Noir's a whole superhero! People are way more interested in that."

"You see what I have to deal with? Why I had to tell him to come to you?", Plagg said to Fu, pointing to Adrien.

It was at that moment that a couple of footsteps were heard, the door slid open and Wayzz and Plagg hid behind Fu just in time for Marinette to appear, face and hands covered in flour. She was in the middle of opening her mouth to speak when she saw Adrien sitting there. And Adrien saw her standing there. Both of them had a deer caught in headlights look, trying to come up with an explanation for why they were here.

"Adrien! What're you doing here?!", Marinette stalled by asking him first.

"Um, I'm uh, visiting my Chinese tutor", he said. "Just reporting in with my progress."

"He's your tutor? He's my uhhh, grandpa!", she said.

Fu simply sat there with an amused smile. Perhaps he should feel wrong for being entertained by this, but so long as their identities weren't revealed, he saw no harm in it.

"What a small world", Adrien smiled. "Um, you've got a little...", he pointed to her mouth.

Marinette reached up to touch her face before she noticed the leftover flour on her hands. "Oh my gosh! I walked all the way here! And no one said anything! Um, Grandpa, do you have a bathroom I can use to wash this stuff off?"

"Down the hall, to your left", Fu said.

Marinette closed the door behind herself, leaving them alone again as she went off to clean herself.

"I had no idea you were related to Marinette", Adrien said in a hushed tone. "Does she know about any of this? About the miraculous?"

Fu shook his head. "Please don't tell her. I want to protect her and other Parisians as all costs."

"I understand. Marinette is one of my best friends from school. I wouldn't want her getting hurt either."

"She must have had something heavy on her mind before coming here if she arrived in that state", Fu said. "She probably needs someone to talk to about it."

Adrien nodded and stood up. "I'll give you two some privacy then. Come on Plagg." When Plagg returned to him, Adrien gave Fu a bow. "Thank you for listening to me. And thank you for giving me this opportunity", he said.

He left before Marinette could come back and Wayzz gave Fu a look. "Master, I'm starting to think you should tell them. If they both come here, transformed or not, they're bound to see something."

"It's too risky right now", Fu said. "And besides, they might figure it out on their own."

"And if they do?"

"We shall have to see. It could either make them stronger or tear them apart." Fu knew well enough that it all depended on the circumstances. Whether it felt like a relief that a great truth was revealed or the ultimate betrayal of being lied to. Only time would tell.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Up next: Dark Cupid


	21. Chapter 21

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> okay im sorry i lied the chapter AFTER this is gonna be Dark Cupid

It was a week before Valentine's Day and Marinette had bought a rather large whiteboard for the occasion. Her grandfather had an old chalkboard, but Marinette didn't like the chalk dust. On the board was a pros & cons list, pictures of Adrien and Cat Noir, as well as a venn diagram and a Marinette vs Ladybug chart. Tikki had watched her draw all of this up and now the presentation was ready.

"Okay", Marinette took a deep breath, ready to begin and explain her thought process.

"It looks really complicated", Tikki said.

"It's really quite simple", Marinette started. "See, I'm pretty sure I have feelings for both Cat Noir and Adrien. But obviously I can't date them both. So how to decide? By quantifying it."

Tikki frowned. "You can't quantify love."

"I know, but this is the only way. I can't tell who I feel more for and it's driving me nuts!" Marinette's hands mussed up her hair and she knew it was looking like a mess right now.

"But, didn't you already reject Cat Noir?"

"That's what the Marinette vs Ladybug chart is for", she said, pointing her marker at it. "Even if Cat Noir still has feelings for Ladybug, he might be sore about the rejection. However, Marinette has a clean slate with him."

"And the Venn diagram?"

"Things I like about Cat Noir and things I like about Adrien. The middle is all the things they share", Marinette explained.

Tikki looked over the diagram, grinning but trying to contain most of it. "They share an awful lot of traits."

"That's what makes this so hard!", Marinette groaned. "Maybe I should just go with the one that's easiest to date."

"And who would that be?", Tikki asked.

"Well...Adrien's my friend. I see him every day and I know him better than Cat Noir."

"So pick Adrien."

"But he's always having to cancel things because of his father. Which means he'd cancel our dates. Cat Noir...probably doesn't have the same things holding him back."

"Probably?", Tikki echoed.

Marinette fell backwards against her bed. "I don't know! When I think about it, I don't know anything about Cat Noir! And that's a good thing because I'm Ladybug, I shouldn't know anything about him but I wanna know about him!"

"Marinette, how would you even date Cat Noir? You're not allowed to know your identities. And you can't expect him to use his miraculous just to go on dates", Tikki said.

She knew that. If Cat Noir had told Ladybug he'd done such a thing, she would have scolded him for putting a civilian's life at stake so frivolously. But she wasn't just some civilian. She was in fact, Ladybug. The gears in her head started turning.

"Okay, let's say I ask Cat Noir, out. If he says yes, then perfect! But, if he says no because he doesn't want me getting in danger, then as Ladybug, I'll just happen to ask him about Valentine's Day. When he says that Marinette asked him out, but he refused, I'll commend him, mention how admirable it is, and then I'll make my move on him as Ladybug! It's perfect! Thank you Tikki!"

Tikki sagged, knowing she couldn't talk any sense into Marinette when she was like this. But she also knew the true identity of Cat Noir now. So she knew (oa rather hoped) that everything would work out in the end.

* * *

Adrien had been doing a lot of thinking. About Marinette and Ladybug. Not really about them together, but it was related in a tangential way. First he thought about how Marinette was related to the guardian of the miraculous. Master Fu had said he didn't want Marinette involved with the miraculous. Adrien intended to respect that.

But he also felt like her grandfather was keeping her in the dark about important things. Adrien remembered when he found that book in his father's office, how he felt like important things were being hidden from him. He still thought that. He just couldn't go around accusing his father of keeping secrets when he was gallivanting as a leather clad cat.

Still, it had Adrien thinking of all the secrets he was keeping from his friends and family. It was for their own safety of course. But he just wished he had more than Plagg and now Master Fu to discuss these things with. He looked to Nino, who sat beside him. And then he thought of Marinette again.

And then later on his thoughts would drift to Ladybug. She had changed her tune about Valentine's Day so suddenly. It had him wondering more and more about who she was behind the mask. Had something happened in the civilian part of her life to make her change her mind? Who was it that had her thinking of plans for Valentine's Day?

Adrien didn't like the way that jealousy sat like a rock in his stomach but he couldn't help it. It had him thinking that he might like to try and skip the whole day altogether. Maybe he'd make sure he had a photoshoot or something to keep him busy so he wouldn't even realize the day had come.

"Me and Alya are gonna see a movie and then hit up this cafe. She's starting a food blog", Nino said as everyone packed up at the end of the day.

"Sounds great", Adrien said, truly happy for his friend, although he couldn't stop the envy that clenched around his heart.

"I bet you've got a lot of people leaving you love letters, huh?", Nino grinned.

Adrien didn't deny it. He'd gotten a bunch of letters left in his locker. Most were anonymous anyway, so he had no real way of replying to them. The few that had been signed, he intended to thank, but ultimately reject. He found even more when he went by his locker after school. He might feel differently if any of them had a little ladybug in the corner.

But as none of them did, they were nothing more than a bother, if he was being honest. Still, he put them in his bag so that he could take them home and go through them all. Someone had put their feelings into words. He couldn't just ignore them. Before he could get all the way home, though, traffic was stopped by an akuma turning people on the street into chocolate statues.

Adrien got out of the car and found a place to transform, leaping into battle and quickly joined by Ladybug.

"Don't you know too much chocolate is bad for you?", Ladybug said.

"I happen to like it a lot", Cat Noir grinned. "It's very much like me - deep, smooth, and rich."

Ladybug rolled her eyes, but otherwise let that one slide. They had to finish this before those people started to get melty. The battle finished in record time and Cat Noir didn't even have to use his Cataclysm.

"Until next time, my lovebug. Parting is such sweeeeeet sorrow~"

Cat Noir was about to leave her with that cheesy line and Ladybug knew it was now or never. She didn't know how to contact him as Marinette outside of akuma attacks. So if she wanted a Valentine's Day, now was the time to do it.

"Actually, Cat Noir, would you mind checking on the school for me?", she asked. "I'd do it myself, but I'm about to change back."

"Sure, but what should I be checking on?", he asked.

"It's mostly a morale thing. I think the citizens feel better if they can catch glimpses of us after a battle, even after my ladybugs have put things back to normal."

"Makes sense", Cat Noir said. He always felt safe when he saw Ladybug. And he didn't think he was the only one that felt that way. Under her request, he started on his way to the school. Ladybug did the same, taking a different route. She detransformed behind the school just in time to see Cat Noir land on the roof.

"Cat Noir!", she called out to him. "Is everything safe now!"

"Yep! Thanks to yours truly and Ladybug too. Everything should be alright."

"Um, could I talk to you?", Marinette asked, her heart pounding as Cat Noir answered by jumping off the roof and coming to stand right in front of her. Now that she wasn't Ladybug, she could allow herself to admire the way his suit hugged his body.

"What did you wanna talk about?", he asked, bringing her attention back to his face.

"Oh! I uh, I just wanted to um, to ask you something", Marinette started but she was suddenly aware of every little thing about her. The long, drab skirt and barely fashionable sweater she wore. She didn't even have the forethought to do anything with her hair, so it hung loose and spilled over her shoulders as her head bowed.

"...What did you want to ask me?", Cat Noir asked.

"Will you go out with me on Valentine's Day?!", she blurted out, hands wringing the edges of her sweater. Her eyes were shut tight, so they didn't see the way that Cat Noir's widened.

Marinette waited for the sting of rejection. It would hurt, but at least that meant she could get a second chance as Ladybug instead.

"I...I'd love to", Cat Noir said.

Her head snapped up at that answer, unsure of the feeling that took over her but regardless of what it was, it was decided. She was going on a date with Cat Noir.


	22. Dark Cupid

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Confession time: about 20% of the time, I totally forget that Ladybug needs to repair the damage of the day with her Lucky Charm and thus forget to even get her to use it and have her save the day without it and when I realize that I pretty much just squeeze it in there somehow but it's not like yall come here for the action scenes right? haha, right?
> 
> -ahem-
> 
> I will try to do better

The rest of that day had been a blue for Adrien. As Cat Noir, he told Marinette that he'd go out with her on Valentine's Day. And then after that...well it was night now and somehow he'd ended up in his bedroom.

"Plagg...what happened?"

"You told that Marinette girl you'd meet her in front of the Eiffel Tower for your date and take her somewhere special", Plagg answered rather unhelpfully.

"Plagg!"

"What?", the little kwami groaned while flying over to his cheese safe.

"I have a date with Marinette!"

"Yeah, I got that part."

"But...but...how?!" Adrien started pacing, in the beginning stages of a crisis.

"She asked you out. You said yes. What's the big deal?", Plagg asked before gulping down some camembert.

Adrien paused at his pacing and put his hands on his hips. "Plagg, did you forget about the chart?" He rolled out a whiteboard that contained a detailed flowchart for several of his romantic options. Marinette was one of them.

Plagg rolled his eyes. "How could I forget about the chart?", he said, sarcasm thick in his voice.

"I could go out with Marinette, but there's her grandfather to think about. I'm not even sure if he'd let Marinette date anyone."

"You should care less about getting every adult's approval", Plagg said.

"It's not just Mr. Dupain's approval. It's Ladybug's. How's she going to react when she hears that I'm dating a civilian?"

"Doesn't sound like it's any of her business. She has her life and you have yours." Plagg had already been tired of this whole love thing even before coming to know that Ladybug and Marinette were the same person. Now it was downright tedious. That is, when it wasn't utterly hilarious.

"Is it really okay for me to date Marinette as Cat Noir?", Adrien asked.

Plagg could hear it in his voice, he wasn't asking about whether it was right or wrong. He was asking for permission. Adrien had so many decisions made for him, he wasn't used to answering the tough questions for himself.

"Lemme ask you this, kid: why'd you say yes to that girl?"

"Because I...I wanted to", Adrien answered, pushing the whiteboard away.

"And why did you want to?", Plagg asked, flying right up to his face.

Adrien avoided his eyes. "I...I didn't want to hurt her feelings. And I...well I was curious about it. She should know Adrien better, but she asked out Cat Noir. I wanted to know what she saw in Cat Noir that she didn't see in Adrien."

"You do remember that you're both Cat Noir AND Adrien, right? I swear, I never understand why you humans make such a big deal about who you are with or without the mask."

"It's about getting to act differently when people don't know who you are", Adrien said.

"So is Adrien Agreste just a performance?", Plagg asked, crossing his arms.

"No...", Adrien look unsure of his answer. "Not entirely." The part of himself that liked playing piano, the part of himself that didn't know much about fashion but liked the attention most times, the part of himself that didn't see the merit in learning Chinese until he had a friend to speak it with. There were parts of Adrien that were genuinely him. He knew this.

Even if a lot of the things he did was ingrained into him by his father, Adrien had carved out his own pieces of pleasure from them. Cat Noir was simply a missing piece.

"Cat Noir gets to say the things he feels. But Adrien is the person behind those feelings", Adrien said.

"So what's your game plan, kitten?"

"I've got less than a week to plan the perfect date for Marinette." He may not love her the way he did Ladybug, but Marinette was a precious friend to him. And Valentine's Day was a day to celebrate all kinds of love. He'd show her that she was deserving of love.

* * *

On the day of reckoning, Alya was trying to get information about Marinette's date before class begun. They sat in their seats and Alya shook Marinette's arm, begging her to spill.

"You've gotta tell me! We're BFFs, right? Who are you going out with?"

"Marinette's got a date?", Nino asked, he and Adrien having just entered the classroom.

"Iii-it's not a big deal, really", Marinette said, trying not to look at Adrien all while gauging his reaction. It was a task, for sure.

"Still, it's really nice to have plans", Adrien smiled. "So what's the guy like? Do we know him?"

"Uh! Maybe? But not really!" Marinette flustered. She couldn't just tell them she was going out with Cat Noir. Besides the fact that she wasn't sure where this supposed relationship would go, she didn't want too much attention about it. And with Alya, she might try and make them do a double date so that she could get an interview.

"See? She's being secretive", Alya said to the boys.

"Well, that's because, you know, my uh, my grandpa! Yeah, see, I haven't exactly told him about this and the less you guys know about it, the less you'll have to lie about it if he ever asks you."

"What_ have_ you told your grandpops?", Nino asked.

"Did I hear that right? Granny Dupain has a date? What is he? Like 80?", Chloe laughed at her own joke as she went over to her seat.

"Ignore the peanut gallery", Alya said with a roll of her eyes.

Marinette looked down at the button up blouse she was wearing and the long, dark skirt, as she did, her long hair fell over her shoulders and she grabbed at it, wishing once more that she was able to cut it.

"But Alya, she's right", Marinette hissed lowly so that Chloe wouldn't hear. "I can't go on my date looking like this, you've gotta help me!" She shook her friend by the shoulders.

Alya put her hands on top of Marinette's. "Okay, okay, if you wanna get dolled up for your mystery man, I'll help you out. But for the record, there's nothing wrong with the way you look. Right boys?"

Nino and Adrien thought over their answers carefully, considering one of them previously had a crush on Marinette and the other had technically agreed to a date with her but was unable to reveal that fact.

"Um, yeah, sure, totally dude", Nino said, playing with his cap.

"I think your clothes are nice Marinette", Adrien said. "And this guy must think so too if he's going out with you." Adrien never really considered her sense of style old fashioned or even bad. It seemed to fit her warm and welcoming personality.

The rest of the class began to file in and soon Miss Bustier arrived and the lesson started. Because it was Valentine's Day, they read different love poems and discussed them. Adrien found his thoughts drifting to Ladybug and what sort of poetry she might like before quickly shaking those thoughts from his head. Today was about Marinette.

After school, Marinette went shopping with Alya and got ready at her friend's house so that her grandfather would be none the wiser. She did call him to say that she was studying with Alya and that she'd be back by curfew. Alya saw Marinette off to the Eiffel Tower before going on her date with Nino.

"Good luck, girl!"

Marinette waved as she walked off. The sun hung low in the sky, not quite setting yet but getting there. She waited for Cat Noir to show up. They had arranged a meeting time and she was only a few minutes early.

Cat Noir had already arrived, perched high upon the tower, on the lookout for Marinette. When he saw her arrive, his breath caught in his throat. Half of her hair was pulled up into a braided bun while the rest was curled and fell down her back. He couldn't see the design of her shirt from here, but he did see that it was white. Her pink skirt stopped just above her knees and the rest of her legs were covered by the black leggings she wore underneath.

He found his heart pounding. Her clothes are particularly extravagant and it wasn't like she was showing any more skin that usual. It was just...different. And it wasn't as if his view of her had changed all that much. Marinette was beautiful. That was an indisputable fact. Like the sky was blue and sugar was sweet. Marinette was beautiful.

But he was thinking for the first time that this beautiful girl might want him. This beautiful, kind, smart, funny, interesting girl might want to be with _him_. And his heart skipped a beat. He jumped down from the tower, mindful of the small bouquet of roses in his hand as he landed smoothly and held the out to her.

"Hope I didn't keep you waiting long?"

"N-no! I just got here!", Marinette said, accepting the bouquet. "These are wonderful. Thank you."

Cat Noir wasn't used to sincere reactions like that. 'Less flirting, more fighting', his lady always said. It was beginning to sink in that as much as he was a romantic, as free as he was with his emotions, he was terribly inexperienced when it came to this sort of thing.

"I've planned quite the meal for us", Cat Noir said, giving her a bow.

"Can't wait to see it", Marinette smiled.

He held a hand out to her and she took it without hesitation. Cat Noir pulled her close and had her wrap an arm around his shoulders while he put one of his own around her waist. "Hold on tight to me", he said softly before lifting up into the air, running across rooftops until he came to one just a short distance from the tower. There was a picnic basket on a blanket and candles set the mood.

"You did all of this?", Marinette asked, looking at him in awe.

He gave her a sheepish smile and shrugged. "I figured it'd be a good idea to be out of the public eye, but I didn't want you getting nervous about being all alone with me." He led her over to the blanket but just as they were about to sit down, Cat Noir noticed a weird bird in the sky. And then he realized it wasn't a bird. And it was just flying around, it was shooting things.

"Kim! Get a hold of yourself!", someone yelled down on the street below.

"Kim?", Marinette echoed, turning her head and seeing her newly akumatized classmate shooting arrows at citizens. She went over to the edge and saw Max running down the streets after him. "Max!", she yelled. "What's going on?!"

"It's Kim! He's been akumatized!"

Needing to know the situation, Cat Noir grabbed Marinette and brought them down to the street as Max took out his phone, showing a post that Chloe had made online. The picture had Kim on his knees with an empty chip bag on his face, brooch being presented. The caption was not nice about it at all.

"Kim tried to give Chloe a gift?", Marinette asked in disbelief. "And you let him?"

"He's stubborn like a goat, I couldn't talk him out of it", Max said. "Now he's, well he's like that!"

"I'll take care of this", Cat Noir said. "You two get to safety. Sorry about this, Marinette." He kissed the back of her hand before taking off to handle the akuma, leaving her and Max alone.

Max adjusted his glasses and cleared his throat. "So, what were you and Cat Noir doing on that roof?"

Marinette's face reddened. "Didn't you hear him?! We need to get some place safe! You should head home and I'll do the same! Okay? Bye!" She sped off in a random direction, intending not to go home but find an isolated place to transform. From the chaos around her, she could see the effect of the arrows and didn't want to leave Cat Noir by himself for too long.

Ladybug soon appeared, trying to find where the action was. She knew Kim wasn't the brightest, if she was speaking honestly, so she wasn't too worried about outsmarting him to destroy the akuma. That is until she arrived just in time to see Cat Noir get hit with an arrow while shielding some fleeing citizens. Even though she knew what was coming next, even though she knew they could be affected by akumas just as easily as anyone else, she ran to his side, calling out his name.

"Are you okay?", she asked, kneeling next to him.

His eyes opened and glared at her with open contempt. "Like you care. If you don't love me, you might as well hate me."

"I don't hate you, Cat Noir!"

"That suits me just fine now that I hate you too!" He pounced on her, pinning her to the ground. Ladybug wasn't sure what he planned to do, but she refused to give him a chance, throwing him off and spinning her yo-yo, ready for defense or offense.

"You're under his control now too", she frowned.

"Cat Noir", Dark Cupid said, floating nearby. "Since you're an enemy of Ladybug's now, why not help me destroy her?"

"It would be my pleasure", Cat Noir grinned.

Ladybug let out a groan. All she had wanted was a nice date. Was that really so hard to ask? She dodged Dark Cupid's arrows and Cat Noir's swipes for her earrings. For a second, she thought of all the kwamis sitting in the miracle box and how sometimes two heroes didn't feel like enough. She stomped that thought down as it wouldn't help her right now. Especially not with Cat Noir firing up his Cataclysm.

She matched him and called upon her Lucky Charm and saw that it gave her a spotted box. She opened it and found a hot, steaming cinnamon roll, topped with a dripping, sticky caramel frosting. She knew just what to do with it.

"I've always wondered what my power would do if I used it on a person", he said, intrigue in his voice. "And you'll be the purr-fect one to experiment it on."

Ladybug had seen that hand rust metal bars and disintegrate concrete. She didn't want to find out what it would do to her face. Then a realization came to her. Cat Noir was still making puns. Hate might control his heart right now but he was still Cat Noir. She waited for an opening and then threw the cinnamon roll at Dark Cupid, gunking up his fingers and making it impossible to use his arrows.

Cat Noir lunged at Ladybug and pinned her to the ground again and Ladybug only saw one way out of this. She grabbed his face and pulled him in for a kiss. He tensed in shock, as she suspected and she was able to flip them over and rise to her feet, holding Cat Noir and ready to throw him at Dark Cupid. What she hadn't expected was for her kiss to turn him back to normal.

"What's going on? What am I doing?"

"Just trust me and aim for the heart shaped pin", Ladybug ordered before tossing him towards Dark Cupid. Cat Noir, ever the loyal one especially when he was lacking in his faculties, did as she said and ended up destroying the akumatized gift, turning Kim back to normal. After purifying it and turning everything back to normal, Cat Noir came to her side.

"I'm not entirely sure what happened, but, pound it?"

"Pound it", she said, bumping fists with him. "Well, now that that's over, you probably have a date to be getting back with, right?" Ladybug tried not to look too curious about it.

"I did, but I told her to get somewhere safe. She might've gone home", Cat Noir said. "Besides, I think the mood was kind of ruined."

"You should still check on her", Ladybug said, arms crossed. "Make sure she got home alright."

"Keeping me an honest gentleman, My Lady? You're right. It's my duty as her escort of the evening." He gave her a bow before leaving and it was a race to get back home before he got there and make it seem like Marinette had been there the whole time. She couldn't get in through her window, with it being locked, so he detransformed on the way and got to the gate just in time for Cat Noir to hop off a roof and land right in front of her.

"Are you alright? You didn't get hurt, did you?", he asked.

Marinette put a finger to her lips. It was night now, so thankfully Cat Noir mostly blended in with his dark suit. But she still couldn't risk being seen out here with him. Neighbors talked and if her grandfather heard...

"Meet me by my window. It's around back." She went through the gate and closed it behind her before going inside, moving quietly to keep her grandfather from hearing. She wasn't late by any means, but he'd never approve of this outfit. Only when she got safely behind the closed door of her bedroom, did she let out a breath and turn the light on. She opened the window and looked around. Cat Noir was carefully scaling the wall and came to sit on the edge of her window. It faced the wall of another building so the risk of being seen was very low.

"Sorry that our date was cut short", he said.

"Don't apologize. It's not your fault", Marinette said. "And maybe...maybe we can try again some other time?"

"You...You'd wanna go out with me again?", Cat Noir asked, his eyes a little wide.

"Of course." Marinette's eyes softened. It hadn't been that long, but she hadn't thought of Adrien at all when she was with Cat Noir. She leaned forward and kissed his cheek.

He felt his entire face get warm and if he wasn't careful he'd fall right out this window. "O-okay. I'd like that too. I'll uh, I'll find a way to contact you. And a way to see you without this", he said, tapping his mask. "Until next time then. Good night."

"Good night, Cat Noir."

He kissed the back of her hand just in time to hear Roland knocking on her bedroom. Door. Cat Noir made his escape into the night. Neither had expect the night to go this way. And yet neither of them was disappointed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had an idea where Dark Cupid actually sees their date and thus Hawkmoth finds out Cat Noir and Mari are involved but then I realized we got a lot of opportunities down the road to get HM/Gabe in the mix
> 
> Also, it's gonna be a while until we get there but I can already tell I'm about to have a lot of fun with Oblivio because im still reeling from that episode tbh
> 
> Anyway, up next will probably be an in-between chapter and then after that Glaciator


	23. Chapter 23

Marinette hummed to herself as she drew up a dress pattern in her sketchbook. The fashion show that her hat would be featured in was approaching and it had her getting inspired. Of course, Roland still had no idea of her participation in the upcoming event. Marinette had instead invited Alya, Juleka, and Rose as her guests.

And if she was happy about getting a little note from Cat Noir too, well, that was her secret. A few days after the Dark Cupid incident, Marinette had awakened to an envelope taped to her window. He asked to meet somewhere today and thankfully, Marinette would be able to do so without alerting her grandfather. He would be playing cards with the neighbors right before she needed to leave.

Those card games could go on for hours. She just had to make sure she was back before he got home and started making dinner. Hopefully this time, there'd be no akuma to interrupt their time together.

"You seem eager to go out with Cat Noir", Tikki said as Marinette closed up her sketchbook.

"It just...feels nice not to have to pretend", Marinette said. "He doesn't see me as this super amazing hero. Just Marinette."

Tikki flew up to Marinette and rubbed their cheeks together. "But you are super amazing!"

Marinette giggled and held Tikki close. "Thank you. But Cat Noir doesn't know that."

She left out and waited in front of the train station closest to her, checking her phone from time to time. Cat Noir was running late. But it had only been five minutes, so she tried not to hold it against him. Then five minutes turned to ten. She started looking up at the roofs. He had a tendency to appear from on high.

"Careful, if an angel looks at the skies too much, the heavens will call her back."

Marinette's head snapped down to see, first a face mask covering the mouth and nose, then sunglasses covering the eyes. A black hat atop their messy blonde hair and a nondescript black hoodie finished the look. She felt her body freeze up for a moment. Guys had said one or two comments at her when she walked down the street, but one had never been so bold to walk up to her and say something.

"Um, thanks?", she said, taking a step back.

Slowly, he pushed his sunglasses down a bit, revealing green eyes that gave her a wink. Marinette's own eyes widened as recognition filled her.

"Adrien?! What are you doing here?", she asked, the fact that he'd called her an angel a distant thought from her mind.

"Adrien? I think you've got this cool cat confused for someone else", he said.

Marinette put her hands on her hips. "Adrien, I know that's you. I'd know those eyes anywhere."

"You'd know my eyes? I mean-I'm not Adrien! Would Adrien know that I tried to give you a roof-top picnic a few days ago?" He knew for a fact that no one knew because Marinette had been very tight-lipped about her mystery date, only telling her friends that it had been interrupted by an akuma attack.

She looked more closely at his eyes. Every fiber of her being was telling her this was Adrien, but now that she listened, his vocal inflection was different, even though it sounded remarkably similar to Adrien. But only Cat Noir could know what happened that day. No one even knew she had gone out with Cat Noir. Max had seen them, but he'd had yet to connect the dots.

"I'm sorry. Just your eyes look a lot like my classmate's."

"He must be a very lucky guy to share eyes with me", Cat Noir said, the grin under his mask reaching his eyes. He put the sunglasses back into place. Then he held a hand out for Marinette to take and led her into the station. In preparation for today, he looked up places to go for a date where his concealed face wouldn't be a problem.

He decided to remove his sunglasses at least when they got to the cafe. Marinette had already seen his eyes and he'd already cleared himself of any suspicions of being Adrien through them. It was a lovely little place with good food and after the initial awkwardness, Cat Noir found it easy to talk to Marinette. At the end of the day, she was one of his best friends, even if she didn't realize it.

"Dark beats milk chocolate any day of the week", Marinette said.

"Dark is too bitter though", Cat Noir countered. "Please tell me you're not one of those salted caramel people."

"Salt brings out the sweetness!"

Cat Noir smiled when he saw Marinette's cheeks puff out. It reminded him of the way Ladybug looked whenever he was actually right about something. It didn't happen often, but he relished when it did. After lunch, he took her to a movie, paying for both of their tickets. Marinette looked to the large posters in wonder.

"I've...I've never actually been to a movie like this before", she admitted. "My grandpa is kind of old fashioned. I either had to wait for the movie to come on tv, or beg him for a VHS. You can imagine how hard it was when DVDs started taking over."

"I've got a strict home life too", Cat Noir said. "I can go to the movies, but only with my, uh, my parents with me. I've never been with a friend before."

She smiled warmly at him, happy that she wasn't alone in this. And she liked that she was learning more about Cat Noir. Since he paid for the tickets, she insisted on paying for the popcorn, and they found their seats in the theater. It was a romance, which Marinette was surprised that her date had suggested. It was her understanding that boys recoiled at the sight of chick-flicks.

But he was surprisingly into it. By the end of the movie, both of them were holding hands tightly in suspense as the heroine chased after the train that her love interest was on, tripping and falling as she watched the train go into the distance, only to see that her love was still waiting on the platform. When the credits began to roll, both of them were holding back tears.

Later, after the train ride back to their side of town, they strolled around a park. Marinette still had some time before she had to be home. So they were just walking and talking. Eventually, the young man no longer felt the difference between acting as Adrien and acting as Cat Noir. They were one in the same. No distinction. They ended up getting on the subject of video games. Marinette played whenever she went over Alya's house, but she was still inexperienced. Meanwhile, Cat Noir was very experienced.

"I've beaten most of Mecha Strike", he bragged. "You know, I once competed in a tournament."

"That's amazing", Marinette said in awe. "A pair of my classmates did too. Mecha Strike is a ton of fun, but sometimes it's hard to keep track of your health, used up items, and your opponent's health at the same time."

"You strike me as the kind of person that's very good at multitasking", Cat Noir smiled.

Marinette blushed a little at that. "Thanks. But whenever I play, I always run out of items before I realize it and when I check my inventory, it's empty and I've gotta rush and think of something quick while I'm still fighting."

"Yeah, you were always bad at that", Cat Noir laughed. "You got a little better after a while though. If you played more, you'd probably rival the top players." When Marinette didn't reply, he stopped walking and saw that she was a few steps behind him.

"How do you know that?", she asked.

"Know what?", he asked before feeling a rock drop in his stomach. Before he could explain himself, Marinette came forward and pulled the face mask down, revealing the rest for anyone to see.

"Adrien?"

"Marinette, I can explain-!"

"Was this some elaborate prank? Did Chloe put you up to this?"

"No! It's not like that. Please listen to me", Adrien pleaded.

"How did you even know about this? How did you know about Cat Noir and I?", she asked, stepping forward more and more, pushing him backwards until he hit a tree. "Adrien, why would you do this?"

Confused and hurt, but mostly confused, Marinette ran away. And Adrien let her, unable to think of an excuse for what had happened. He had gotten too comfortable, too relaxed. He let his guard down and given himself away. There was no way he could convince Marinette that he was Cat Noir now. If he did, he'd be giving up his secret identity.

He needed time. Time to think of why he knew the things Cat Noir did and how he was able to perfectly copy his mannerisms while totally not being Cat Noir. In the meantime, he hoped Marinette didn't hate him for what had happened.


	24. Glaciator

Adrien fell against his bed in despair after that disaster of a date. "Plagg, how am I going to fix this?"

"Tell her the truth. Or a version of the truth. Whichever works", Plagg shrugged.

Adrien weighed his options. He could either let Marinette think that he had only been Adrien acting as Cat Noir, but then he'd have to convince her that he knew the hero personally and explain why he'd taken his place on their outing.

Or, he could reveal that he was Cat Noir. If he did that, he might have to give up his miraculous. And it could put Marinette in danger. And it would disappoint Ladybug.

"Plagg, how could I mess up so badly?"

"Because you keep trying to mix romance into everything."

Unfortunately, Adrien didn't come up with a game plan before having to face Marinette again as the school day started. When his driver dropped him off in front of the school, he saw her talking with Alya on the steps in front of the entrance. He ventured a wave to her but when Marinette saw him, she turned away and went inside, pulling Alya along with her.

"Hey, what was all that about?", Alya asked as she let Marinette take her inside.

"It's...I can't tell you. It's too complicated", Marinette said.

"But whatever it is, has got you avoiding Adrien like the plague?", Alya raised a brow.

Marinette stopped when they were in front of the lockers. She wondered how much she should tell Alya. It might be nice to get another perspective on this. Tikki had tried, but as an immortal spirit her advice had a tendency to be more broad stroked than was actually helpful. It was a bit of a risk, considering she'd have to confess to her date with Cat Noir, but Alya was her friend. Marinette was pretty sure she could swear her to secrecy, so she did.

"My lips are sealed, girl. So what's up?"

Marinette made sure they were alone before whispering the whole story to her. Alya's eyes got bigger and bigger until Marinette finished.

"Oh. Wow. Never in a million years did I think it would be that."

"So you see my problem?", Marinette asked. "How did Adrien know about me and Cat Noir? Why would he lie to me? Why did Cat Noir stand me up?"

"Okay, let's go with the most obvious answer", Alya began. "Adrien is Cat Noir."

"Alya, don't make me laugh", Marinette waved her hand as if brushing that idea away. "Those two are nothing alike."

"And yet Adrien was able to fool you for the whole day", Alya pointed out.

Marinette opened her mouth to reply, but had nothing. Whenever Marinette had begun to think that, Tikki usually discouraged her theory. But it was starting to seem more and more possible. It would explain how mild-mannered Adrien got the cocky cat's mannerisms down perfectly. They went to class and the whole time Marinette found herself staring at the back of Adrien's head.

He couldn't be Cat Noir. Because if that was true, it meant that Adrien had feelings for Ladybug. It meant that this whole time, she'd been fighting alongside Adrien. It meant that Adrien made horrible cat puns all the time!

While Marinette was spiraling, Alya and Nino sent notes back and forth to come up with a plan to help their friends. They just needed a push in the right direction is all.

"Hey, weather's starting to warm up. Why don't we all go for ice cream?", Alya suggested.

"We can try and find that Andre guy", Nino added. "His ice cream is legendary."

"Ice cream sounds nice", Adrien said before looking to Marinette.

She was still unsure of being around him, but she supposed he couldn't be avoided forever. Especially if she wanted some answers. So she nodded. Rose and Juleka ended up coming along as well, Rose loving the idea of being on the hunt for an ice cream man who could tell your love fortune through sweets. It took them about thirty minutes after school, scouring social media and the streets before they pinned him down.

As they were in a group, Marinette didn't have to focus on Adrien too much, which made her feel a little better but also kept them in this strange limbo that she desperately wanted out of. What she hadn't considered was how Andre had such a special focus on couples that it practically gave him tunnel vision.

"Chocolate and strawberry for the opposites that attract", Andre said, handing the dessert to Rose and Juleka. "And salted caramel ice cream with roasted almonds for you", he said to Nino and Alya.

Marinette realized that she and Adrien were the only pair left and hoped she could step in before he started spouting something romantic about the two of them but he'd taken one look and started to assemble their sundae.

"The two of you are as sweet and pure as vanilla", Andre nearly sang, dolloping the school. "With just a bit of tartness, like raspberry. There is also some bittersweetness between you", he then added a scoop of coffee ice cream. "But also very colorful", he said as he added rainbow sprinkles. He paused and looked at the concoction he had in his hands. "Let's try that again."

"Y-you really don't have to", Marinette said.

"Lemon sorbet, mint chip, cookie crumbles, and strawberry sauce! No...peanut butter, orange, marshmallow topping, and gummy worms. That's not quite right either."

"Please stop!", Marinette finally raised her voice. The fact that their sundae was coming out so complicated no matter how many times Andre tried made it all the more clear. "Adrien and I just aren't compatible. I'm sorry."

She ran off, ignoring the calls of both Andre and her friends. The ice cream man looked at the rejected sundae with disappointment. "My ice cream has always bridged two hearts together. But your hearts are so complicated."

"It's all my fault", Adrien said. "You guys go on without us. I need to make things right with Marinette." He chased after her but only did so as Adrien until he was out of sight of the others. First he had to smooth things over as Cat Noir. Marinette eventually stopped, leaning against a streetlamp to catch her breath. Cat Noir landed right on top of it, perched perfectly.

"Guess I've got some explaining to do", Cat Noir said in a soft voice.

Marinette's head snapped up and her eyes were glistening with unshed tears. Cat Noir immediately leapt down and she quickly rubbed her eyes to hide the fact that she'd been about to cry.

"You do", she said, voice thick with emotion. "Why didn't you show up? Why was Adrien there? Why was he pretending to be you?"

It was now or never with his explanation. For all the powers that his ring gave him and the invincibility his suit provided, he felt vulnerable and weak before those eyes. He took a deep breath to steel his nerves, hoping Marinette would believe the story he told.

"I really wanted to have that date with you, Marinette. Please believe that. But it's hard for me to have a social life sometimes. That's where Adrien Agreste came in."

"I...I don't understand", Marinette said.

"I didn't want to disappoint you, but I don't think I can actually go out with you", Cat Noir said. "It's not you. You're one of the most incredible people that I know. But it's a matter of your safety. So I had Agreste take my place. He assured me he could get my personality right. Afterwards, he was supposed to let you down the way I am now, but well...you know..."

"So instead of just telling me to my face, you roped Adrien into this scheme of yours?", Marinette crossed her arms. "How did you even contact him?"

"Us celebrities run in the same circles", Cat Noir answered. "I know it was cowardly of me. But don't blame Adrien for this stupid cat's mistakes. He was just trying to help me."

Marinette didn't know how to feel now. It was all getting too complicated. Although, now she supposed she was justified in not accepting Cat Noir's love as Ladybug. Being romantically involved with a superhero just wasn't possible without someone getting confused. Just as she was about to say so, the ground shook beneath their feet.

"Marinette~ Adrien~ I have the perfect sundae for you~"

A giant monster of ice cream rounded the corner, turning screaming civilians into frozen dessert statues that threatened to melt them away to nothing.

"Go run and hide", Cat Noir ordered. "I'll hold him off."

"What about Adrien?!" If Andre had been akumatized nearby, that meant Adrien was still in danger.

"Don't worry. I'll keep my stunt double safe", Cat Noir winked before running towards the akuma.

Marinette found her own place to hide just long enough to transform and join the fight with Cat Noir, using her yo-yo to deflect Glaciator's ice cream. He smiled widely at her entrance into the fight.

"Always happy to see you My Lady."

"What's this ice cream man's deal?", Ladybug asked as Andre ignored them for some easier targets.

"Guess he takes a lot of pride in matchmaking with his food", Cat Noir figured.

Ladybug rolled her eyes. "He shouldn't get so upset just because people are more complicated than ice cream." Seeing as his victims were starting to melt though, there wasn't much room for talking. Ladybug called on her Lucky Charm and got Cat Noir to distract Glaciator while she figured out a way to use it. This part was easy. It was uncomplicated.

After coming up with a plan, she called Cat Noir back and with the two of them working in tandem, they were able to separate the akumatized object and destroy it.

"Pound it!", they said in unison after a job well done.

"Your timing really is purrfect. How is it that you always know to be in the right place at the right time?", Cat Noir asked, leaning in close to Ladybug's space.

"I'm lucky, that's why", she said, pushing him back playfully by the nose.

Afterwards, Marinette found her friends to explain herself to them and to Adrien and finally have a talk with him, but he was nowhere to be found. Apparently, his father had called him home for the evening. So their talk would have to wait.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Up next is Gorizilla!


	25. Gorizilla

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Valentine's Day yall  
I erased that whole "Gabe thinks Adrien is CN" plot line because it doesn't even go anywhere and the thing that makes him suspicious about it was kinda convoluted. But we're gonna get some stuff with him a some reveal teases in the future
> 
> And originally, this was gonna all be in Gorilla's pov but I really wanted to get some insight to Adrien's thinking and I didn't wanna change povs a bunch of times in this chapter

Things hadn't gotten any less awkward between Marinette and Adrien because they had yet to find time to be alone and talk about it. It was a strange limbo where they both knew what had happened and why, but neither had truly communicated about it. So they didn't know how to feel about each other. Any time that Marinette found a moment, Adrien had a prior engagement and vice versa.

It was clear to their friends as well that the dynamic between them had changed but they weren't sure of the cause. But, the girls could clearly see that Marinette needed some cheering up. So they invited her out for a day at the swimming pool. Marinette was wary at first. As one could imagine, her grandfather had opinions on swimsuits for girls. So Marinette hadn't gone swimming in quite some time.

But she needed something to get her mind off of Adrien and some girl time sounded like the perfect remedy right now. She actually went out and bought herself a new swimsuit just for the occasion. Although she found it ironic that she'd been trying to forget about Adrien just as a cologne ad of his was just taking off. He was almost impossible to ignore now.

Even as she sat in her room that morning, watching videos on her phone, she was subjected to the ad before the next one would start. All Marinette wanted to do was watch design tutorials. Was that too much to ask?

Meanwhile, on the other side of town, Adrien had actually managed to get his mind of Marinette. Although it was only because someone else had been occupying his thoughts as of late.

When his mother disappeared, Adrien knew absolutely no details. His father and Nathalie said very little about it. So Adrien had done what any teenager would do...he set a news alert for Emilie Agreste on his phone and waited for the media to do its job. During the initial days, he only got the usual tabloid news about the missing wife of a celebrity. He ignored all of those, uninterested. They'd only break his heart anyway, especially with some of the speculations people came up with.

But a few days ago, he'd gotten an alert about a local theater that was playing a movie his mother had been in. Adrien had nearly jumped in his seat when he read the alert. He remembered his mother mentioning that she'd acted before, but as a child, he'd been rather nonchalant about it. And when she vanished, he hadn't had the nerve to ask his father about it.

He'd just searched for the movie himself but there were no copies online. Not even a clip to speak of. So to know that they'd be playing the movie right here in the city took his breath away.

And then he realized. He'd need his father's permission to go. Adrien could never just go to the movies. He always had to tell his father exactly what he'd be seeing in order to get his approval. And he had tried. He had stood before his father several times between finding out and today. Each time he'd taken a deep breath and tried to ask about going to see the movie. He'd even considered inviting his father along, thinking that maybe he'd be more lenient of the two of them watched it together.

But Adrien didn't have high hopes about getting permission. His father loved his mother dearly. And it was for that reason that he hardly spoke of her unless someone else brought her up first. If Adrien suggested something like this, his father might lash out and forbid Adrien from seeing the movie altogether. But ever the hopeful one, he went into his father's study to try and ask again.

"Father, there's something I wanted to talk to you about."

"Of course", Gabriel said, sparking even more hope in the young boy before dashing it with his next sentence. "I'll have Nathalie tell you when I'm available."

Adrien knew what that meant. It meant not today. Not right now. He let out a sigh of defeat, already resigned to doing Plan B. But even so, he couldn't help but say something, even though it was in a low voice.

"It'll be too late by then."

"Shouldn't you be practicing your piano?", Gabriel asked.

Adrien took the dismissal for what it was and went up to his room. He wasted no time in putting on the recorded piano music and transforming before jumping out of his window. It was something he'd done often, so he had no way of knowing that his father had gone right up to his room almost immediately after he'd left. He was going to see that movie no matter what.

He detransformed soon after getting a good distance from his home and started making his way to the theater. He barely glanced at the posters hanging all around the city with his face. He was used to seeing it by now.

"Adrien Agreste?!"

He was also used to people recognizing him in public, but right now he wasn't in the mood. So he tried ignoring the apparent fan but the other boy was persistent.

"Can you autograph my cologne bottle? And my life-size cutout of you?"

Adrien was presented with himself, but in cardboard form and the commotion caused others to realize he was here and a crowd began to form. Adrien slipped away and started running, thinking they would get the hint. Unfortunately, they gave chase. He continued to run, thinking he might have to hide away somewhere and become Cat Noir in order to lose them when he bumped into a very familiar face.

"Marinette? You live around here, don't you? Can you hide me?", he pleaded.

"Uh, hide you?"

"There he is!", someone shouted.

Marinette took a quick assessment of the situation and grabbed Adrien's wrist, prompting him to follow her. They ran through the park and she pulled him into the dry fountain with her. The mob ran right past them and when the thunderous footsteps faded, they both let out a sigh of relief.

"Thanks", Adrien said. "Everyone's going crazy over this ad."

"So that's why they were following you." Marinette sat up. "Well, they're gone now, so you should be good." She adjusted the strap on her shoulder. Her swim things were packed away inside. This had been a bit of a detour, but Marinette had to go if she wanted to be on time with her friends. She had been about to get out of the fountain when Adrien grabbed her arm.

"I'm actually supposed to be home but I snuck out", he said, eyeing a certain car.

Marinette narrowed her eyes at it and realized Adrien's bodyguard was the driver. She was just about to suggest a course of action when they heard someone taking a picture.

"Adrien and his girlfriend at the park", the man spoke out loud as he typed and posted the photo.

She would've denied being Adrien's girlfriend, but that wasn't the important part right now. This time, Adrien grabbed her hand and led her in fleeing the scene. Eventually, they made their way to the subway.

"I'm really sorry you got caught in this", Adrien apologized. He really hadn't expected running into Marinette.

"It's not a big deal. But you're trying to get somewhere, aren't you?", she said. He must if he had actually left the house without his father knowing. "I hope it's not going to be this bad all day."

Adrien smiled. "I'm not too worried. Nothing bad can happen with my lucky charm", he said, pulling said charm out of his pocket, causing Marinette's eyes to widen.

"You still have it?"

"I carry it around with me everywhere", Adrien said, putting it back into his pocket.

Before Marinette could respond to that news, more people recognized Adrien and started taking pictures. They made a break for it only to see the bodyguard coming down the stairs of one exit. They turned and the previous mob was coming down the other side. They were trapped. The announcement for the departure of the train pinged and thinking fast, Adrien tackled Marinette into one of the cars just as the doors closed and the train took off.\

Adrien didn't notice the lucky charm slipping out of his pocket and onto the train platform.

But apparently Marinette's luck was still on their side, because their car was completely empty. Thinking quickly, she opened her bag and wrapped her towel around her head while putting on her swim goggles.

"There. Now we just need a disguise for you."

On the way to the theater, they happened to find a motorcycle helmet. After assuring it was clean, Adrien put it on and he bought them both tickets.

"Great idea to duck into this theater", Marinette said as they found their seats while the pre-show commercials rolled.

"Actually, this is the place I was trying to get to", Adrien said.

"You snuck out to go to the movies? But why? You're not forbidden from the movies, are you?"

Adrien laughed softly and shook his head. "I can go most places with either my bodyguard or Nathalie. But I wasn't sure about my father letting me see this particular movie."

"Oh no! Is it a scary movie?", Marinette asked, suddenly fearful.

"No no no, don't worry. It's just a really rare movie. And it...it stars my mother."

Marinette's gaze softened and for a moment she considered that this would be a good moment for the two of them to talk. They were alone for once after all. But the lights dimmed and the film began. Marinette had seen Adrien's mother only in photos. It was surreal to see her moving, although the movie started with shots of her back and her hand, leaving her face for a reveal later, she was sure.

But they never got to see it.

A light flashed and they both turned to see someone posting yet another photo of them online. Now Marinette was mad. She stood up angrily.

"Are you serious!? You have your phone out during a movie!?"

Before she could go on a tirade about proper theater etiquette, the mob from before barged their way in. Marinette was bumped and pushed away from Adrien. The fans were more interested in the model and not the model's nobody-girlfriend. Marinette figured the best way to handle this was to get security but then the building began to shake. The ceiling was peeled back and a hand grabbed Adrien, who dropped the helmet in the process. The hand pulled out, leaving the gaping ceiling. The mob ran out to chase after while Marinette hid between the aisles.

"Looks like we'll be watching a monster movie after all, Tikki."

She transformed and gave chase to what appeared to be a giant gorilla. She called after it, trying to get its attention but she was practically nonexistent. The giant gorilla climbed up a skyscraper and she followed after. Once at the top, she saw that Adrien was held tight in one of his fists. Dodging his other hand as he tried to throw blows, she climbed on top of the huge beast and tried to pry his hand open.

"It's no use. He's too strong", Adrien said, surely an expert at this point after being carried through the city.

Gorizilla threw Ladybug off and she landed over the edge, sticking close to the building as she tried calling for Cat Noir on her yo-yo but there was no answer. She swung back up and decided to try a different route. She wrapped her yo-yo around Gorizilla's thumb and then jumped through a window on the building, trailing her yo-yo string behind her. She went through the window on the other side and used the leverage to pull Adrien free.

The moment he was out of the akuma's grasp, she grabbed him and used her yo-yo to swing them back down to the ground below. Adrien felt like he was floating, even as his feet touched the ground.

"I knew I could trust you My La-I mean, Ladybug", he said, voice a little breathless.

Gorizilla roared from the building, interrupting anything Ladybug had been about to say. A crowd had formed, half of them here for Adrien, the other half here to see the giant gorilla. And of course, at the front of the mob, the boy who started all of this. He even had the helmet Adrien had dropped before.

"Don't worry Adrien! I'll protect you!"

"I appreciate your enthusiasm, but you all need to get somewhere safe", Ladybug said. She gathered Adrien in her arms and swung off to do the same for her charge. There was no doubt that their enemy would soon be upon them. Once a good distance away, Ladybug landed on a roof and set Adrien down again so that she could try calling Cat Noir again.

Obviously she had no way of knowing that he was unable to answer at the moment. But a part of her couldn't help but wonder if his silence was because of what had happened between him and her civilian self. That couldn't be it. Cat Noir would never let that stuff keep him from a fight. He must not realize yet that there was an akuma on the loose. Out of options, Ladybug called upon her Lucky Charm and it delivered to her a fishing pole.

"Well that's interesting", she said.

"What'll you do if Cat Noir doesn't show up?", Adrien asked suddenly.

"He'll be here. I trust him", Ladybug said confidently as an idea came to her. "I have a plan, but I'll need your help."

"Anything for you, Ladybug", Adrien said almost too quickly.

"He's after you, so you'd need to lure him right where we want him", Ladybug explained. "When he gets at just the right spot, Cat Noir will use his power to destroy the ground beneath his feet. The subway is directly under him and the rubble should trap him long enough for me to get to his akuma. I promise, nothing will happen to you."

"I know. I'm in."

Ladybug smiled at his cooperation and carried him back down to the street level near the subway entrance. She called Cat Noir again, but received no answer. She let out a sigh. She knew he'd be here. He hadn't let her down yet.

"Just wait here", she said to Adrien. "I left a message for Cat Noir with the plan, so he'll do his part."

She waved as she took the stairs down into the subway system. Unbeknownst to her, a little switcheroo was happening up above. Adrien had caught sight of the boy who'd been following him around all day and saw his chance.

Ladybug waited and waited, hearing the tell-tale sounds of huge footsteps and resisting the urge to resurface. Cat Noir would do it. She was sure of it. And just moments later, she saw the ceiling above her begin to crack. She got out of the way just in time to see the lower half of Gorizilla fall through. Her yo-yo rang and she answered with a gleeful smile.

"One akuma, express delivery, courtesy of Cat Noir Mail."

"I knew I could count on you!" She hung up and swung the fishing pole into one of the pockets, pulling out the akumatized object, the lucky charm she had given Adrien.

After putting everything back to normal, she rose back up to the surface to find Cat Noir. Adrien was at a distance, motorcycle helmet on his head once more. The boy from before must have returned it to him. She had wanted to check in more closely with him, but her partner reminded her of one thing.

"He's fine and besides, you might wanna be getting back right about now."

On cue, her earrings began to beep. Ladybug thanked Adrien again for his help and ran off. Cat Noir did the same, going in a different direction. He went back into the alley and behind the dumpster he'd previously taken refuge behind just in time for his biggest fan to return, removing the motorcycle helmet.

"Thanks for taking my place", Adrien said. "You must not think I'm very brave."

"Are you kidding?! I got to be you for a few minutes! I had the time of my life!" His manic excitement quickly came down as his expression turned apologetic. "I'm sorry about posting the picture of you." It had been what had started this whole mess.

Adrien thought about this person who admired him and had jumped at the chance to act in a plan to save Paris from an akuma. Sure it was because he worshipped Adrien, but that still took some level of courage.

"Why don't we exchange numbers?", Adrien suggested.

"R-really?!"

"Yeah. I think, maybe, if you can calm down a little, the two of us could be really good friends." And he could always use more friends.

Seeing as the movie thing had been ruined and his father knew for a fact that he was out of the house now, Adrien went back home, bracing himself for his father's wrath. He stepped into his room, freezing when he saw his father's back. He was sitting in front of the tv.

"Have a seat, son."

Adrien's body was on autopilot as he did what he was told. He hung his head as he sat down, unable to look his father in his face as he awaited the berating. Instead, out of the corner of his eye, he saw his father using the remote and heard a familiar tune playing. He looked up to see his mother's movie playing.

"But, how did you know?"

"When you left without permission, I looked up events happening in the city today", Gabriel explained. "You should have just told me you wanted to watch this."

Adrien hunched over again. "I tried but...but sometimes it feels like I can't talk to you."

"You should always feel like you can talk to me about these things. I will always prefer that to you running off without my knowing."

"Alright father", Adrien shared a smile with him, seeing this as progress as he got to watch more than just the first minute of his mother's film with the other person he loved.

Meanwhile, Marinette was finally making it to the city swimming pool. Alya, Rose, Juleka, and Mylene waited at the entrance.

"Sorry I took so long. You won't believe what happened", Marinette panted.

"Actually...", Alya showed the picture of Marinette and Adrien at the theater.

"We saw everything!", Rose exclaimed.

"When you know as many influential people as I do, it helps to have alerts set in place", Alya said. "But pictures only tell part of the story. You're giving us all the deets once we get poolside, girl."

"I promise", Marinette said. "Right after I catch my breath."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Up next will probably be some new plotty stuff and then (or rather if not that) Sapotis


	26. Chapter 26

It got to the point that Marinette thought she might just have to kidnap Adrien in order to have a frank conversation about what had happened. She hated not knowing his side and thus how to feel about it and him. But fortune finally shined on her and they were both free on the same day. They arranged to meet at the park. It wasn't exactly private, but it would be early in the morning, so there wouldn't be that many people there.

Marinette came, thick sweater and a hat on as she waited for Adrien near the entrance of the park. A familiar car drove up and Adrien exited, telling his driver that he'd call him when he was ready to be picked up.

"Good morning", Marinette greeted.

"Morning", Adrien replied.

They stood awkwardly for a moment, Marinette fidgeting with the hem of her sweater while Adrien stuck his hands in his pockets. He arrived in a jacket and a scarf. Marinette finally cleared her throat and gestured with her head.

"Why don't we take a walk?"

Adrien smiled. "Good idea."

They began a stroll, still neither sure how to start the conversation. Now that she had the opportunity, Marinette was tongue-tied. And she had practiced the conversation so many times. She really didn't want to be walking in the chilly morning air for that long.

"Before anything else, I wanna apologize for what I did. I'm sorry", Adrien finally said.

"Why did you do it?", Marinette asked.

"It was Cat Noir's idea", Adrien began to explain. "He came to me with this plan and, well, I didn't think it would actually work. I thought you'd see right through me immediately."

Marinette groaned, burying her face in her hands. "That makes me feel worse for not noticing. Why did you let it go on for so long?"

"I...", Adrien did have at least one answer for that, but obviously he couldn't tell Marinette that he'd acted as Cat Noir because he actually was him. Revealing his identity to Marinette could put her in danger. And Ladybug would be so disappointed in him. She'd already be so if she knew what kind of trouble he'd gotten himself into with his little idea.

He took a breath and then continued. "Because you're Marinette." Adrien stopped in his tracks and turned to face her. "You're amazing. And you're smart and you're always helping others and you deserve to feel special because you are."

Marinette blushed. Adrien wasn't stingy with the compliments by a long shot, but it always effected her when anyone said nice things about her. She tried very hard not to forgive him immediately. Even if he was sincere about how he felt, she needed him to understand so that something like this never happened again.

"Thank you, for that. But you still lied to me. You and Cat Noir."

Adrien mentally flinched at that. Neither of his identities were on her good side right now.

"Even if you didn't mean to hurt me, you still did. It felt like you were playing a prank on me. And I can't stand liars", Marinette said. Especially those that made her doubt herself.

"I'm sorry", Adrien said again.

Marinette looked at him and his body language. She knew her friend wasn't mean spirited, despite being friends with Chloe. He was sweet and meant well. He'd just made a mistake.

"Just don't let it happen again", Marinette said firmly. "If I'm spending time with someone, I want them to be themselves. We could've spent that day together. Just the two of us. My gaming skills actually have been getting better."

Forgiven, Adrien smiled brightly. "I'll have to be the judge of that sometime."

"So how did you get Cat Noir's mannerisms down so well?"

"I think the better question is how do you know a superhero's mannerisms so well?", Adrien asked with a teasing grin. Marinette had behaved rather familiarly on their 'date' like she was already comfortable with Cat Noir.

"I-I-I um...I know...I know him from tv! You know, he's always putting on a show after he and Ladybug save Paris, so his little quirks are pretty recognizable. But you got them down perfectly. You must be a big fan of him", Marinette rushed out.

"Ah, no, not really", Adrien said, glancing away. "I'm actually more of a Ladybug fan."

"Oh."

"Not that I don't appreciate Cat Noir as a hero. But uh, well the reason I was able to copy him was, oh can you keep a secret?"

Marinette gave a grin and nodded. Adrien had no idea how well she could keep secrets.

Adrien returned her grin with a smile of his own as they continued on their stroll through the park, walking a little closer together this time. "The truth is, they're planning a television special for Ladybug and Cat Noir..."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> kinda short chapter today just to get a lil adrienette
> 
> Next time: Sapotis


	27. Sapotis

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> how are yall quarantined fellas doin? good i hope. Well here's a chapter in these trying times.

With her relationship with Adrien back to normal and her relationship with Cat Noir as Ladybug never really changing, Marinette felt like her life was finally back on track. Of course, there were still things to worry about. Chloe still teased her, her grandfather was still controlling, but there were good things too. Lila hadn't returned to school for a while and Marinette was learning hair tutorials, thanks to her cell phone.

She usually kept her styles pretty simple but now she was getting the hang of more intricate styles. She couldn't wait for tonight. She was having a sleepover with Alya and doing each other's hair was an activity she was looking forward to. She couldn't believe her grandfather had agreed to it. He didn't hide the fact that he wasn't completely won over by Alya. But he did and Marinette didn't look gift horses in the mouth.

Early in the evening, she arrived to Alya's apartment home and met her older sister for the first time. Nora Cesaire was big, tall, and loud and that threw Marinette off but she was quickly taken by her confidence and warmth.

"I'm going to hang with a friend myself", Nora said, picking up a dufflebag. "And mom and dad said they'll probably see a movie while on their date. So it's up to you to put the pipsqueaks to bed."

"Hey!"

"We're not pipsqueaks!"

The twins protested from their seats at the dinner table. Marinette held back a giggle. She had always wondered what it would be like if she'd had a sibling to keep her company. Tikki was sort of like that. But it was nothing like knowing someone for years as a sister, the way Alya had her three sisters. Nora left out and Marinette started helping Alya clean up. She handled the dishes while Alya got Etta and Ella ready for bed.

Living with her grandfather, their home was rather quiet. But from her spot in the kitchen, Marinette could hear the twins giggling as Alya helped them with their pajamas and brushing their teeth. Even those small actions were lively in a place with more than two people.

After doing the dishes, Marinette got her own bed clothes on. She felt a little self conscious about the long night gown she wore when compared to Alya's shorts and tank top but she also found herself unable to show too much skin even when it was just for night wear. They sat on the couch with the twins to watch a little tv while playing a card game with them. But Alya made it clear that they were to be in bed by nine. However, after their playtime was over, they still made a fuss when Alya said it was bedtime.

"We wanna stay up with you guys!"

"Oh sure~", Alya said. "We can stay up together. But I'm not going to be dragging your zombie bodies around the park tomorrow. So which will it be? Late night with us doing boring stuff like talking about homework and tests? Or getting to bed now so you can wake up sooner?"

She was answered with both twins tucking themselves in with giggles. Alya turned off the light and softly closed the door on them, ready for just some best friend time now. She got them some drinks and put them on a tray, bringing them over to the living room while Marinette put the dried dishes away.

"So get this, I've been doing some research trying to figure out Ladybug's identity, right?"

Marinette froze at that, trying to figure out how to detract Alya from the topic. Luckily, the opportunity presented itself when Alya turned her back on the drinks and a moment later, they were emptied.

"Um, Alya?", she pointed to the empty glasses.

Alya expertly found the hiding twins and held one on each arm, ignoring their protests of it not being them, but the sapotis instead. She put them back to bed.

"That should do it", Alya said with a sigh.

"Hopefully. But what are those things? The uh, sapo-whatsits?"

"The sapotis? They're little mischief makers from a Creole legend. So anyway, I was looking up some things and I think that Ladybug might actually be a girl our age. How crazy would it be if she was someone we knew!?"

Marinette set the plate of cut up melon she had prepared on the table and put her hands on Alya's shoulders. "Uh, don't you think that Ladybug needs to keep-", she paused when they heard the sound of giggling and chewing nearby. Alya grabbed the twins a little more roughly this time as she sent them to bed.

"It's not us! It's the sapotis!"

"No more joking!", Alya shouted. "Get out of bed one more time and there'll be no amusement park for anyone. Got it?"

The twins nodded. And this time Marinette was able to get out a bit more on how she believed Ladybug was keeping secrets to protect her loved ones when the tv turned on. Alya stomped angrily in front of the couch to a snickering pair of children.

"It's not us! It's the-"

"I warned you!", Alya said. "Now go to sleep", she ordered. "We'll go to the amusement park some other day when you two can behave!" She shut the door and let out a heavy sigh.

"Being a big sister is hard, huh?", Marinette said from her place on the couch.

"You have no idea", Alya groaned, joining her.

"I bet you have to make all sorts of tough calls that they think are unfair but _you_ know it's only to keep them safe", Marinette said.

"Exactly! But they think I'm the bad guy for it. Why can't they just understand?" Alya looked to her friend and saw a grin on her face and knew she'd walked right into a trap. "Okay but that's different!"

Marinette giggled. "If you say so. But I think Ladybug knows what she's doing."

They finally got to put a movie on but not even five minutes had passed before a bunch of laughing was heard from the twin's room.

"That's it! I've had it with these kids!" When Alya got to the door, she threw it open, about to go on a tirade when she saw, not her sister, but little monsters wrecking havoc. The bulldozed past her to make a mess of the rest of the apartment. In all of the chaos, Marinette noticed one eat a bunch of cookies and then multiply. That literally made the problem exponentially worse. They started escaping out the window and Alya went for the door to chase after them.

"Marinette! You take care of these two!", she pointed to the pair in the kitchen.

As soon as she was gone, Marinette transformed and did in fact take care of the ones in the house. But while breaking their hats made them disappear, no akuma came out.

This was going to be a long night.

Along the way of swinging through the town, she finally crossed paths with Cat Noir. She explained the situation to him and even he could agree that this was going to take some time. By this point, the sapotis had grown to the dozens and were terrorizing all of Paris. The two of them took charge, attacking them one-by-one, two-by-two, three-by-three but not much more than that. And it felt like for every two they got, four more sprung up.

"We can't keep this up all night", Cat Noir said he he held some off. They were currently cornered on a bridge.

"And the one we need might be in another part of the city right now", Ladybug added. No other options on the table, she called on her Lucky Charm, resulting in a teapot falling into her hands.

"You gonna put these critters to sleep with some chamomile?", Cat Noir quipped.

"It looks kind of familiar..." Ladybug looked at the surroundings, trying to figure out how to use it while her partner kept the little akumas at bay. Then she remembered where she had seen this pot before. "I know what to do. I'll explain later but right now, I've gotta go!"

"_Now_ now?!"

"Yes, _now_ now. Think you can keep these sapotis busy for me?"

Cat Noir smirked. "Don't keep me waiting too long."

Ladybug shot him a smile before taking off, detransforming on the way before she got to Master Fu's place. The tea pot was exactly like the one he owned. She knocked and heard a voice telling her to come in.

"Marinette? What are you doing here?", Wayzz spoke first. "You know it's dangerous to come."

"Let her speak Wayzz", Fu said.

"Master, I used my Lucky Charm, but I think it was telling me to come here", Marinette explained. "The akuma we're fighting isn't particularly strong, but there's too many of them."

"I believe that charm may have been telling you that you need help", Fu considered. "But I'm not sure if it's wise. I already took such a risk giving out two miraculous."

"And it was the right choice", Marinette said. "Hawkmoth hasn't made any progress because of Cat Noir and I."

Fu sagged a little at the weight of the decision before standing to bring out the miracle box. "This will have to be temporary. I can't risk having too many miraculous in circulation."

"I understand."

He opened the box and Marinette's eyes grew wide. She had been educated on the powers of each one, but this was the first time she'd seen the miracle box get opened and the other miraculous in person. Fu made the choice hers and she tried to remember each ability. She had to get all the sapotis in one place so that she could take care of them all at once. After realizing that, the decision was simple.

She made her choice and then trekked through the city in search of Alya. She found her trying to reason with a group of sapotis on a merry-go-round. Ladybug broke all their hats with a swipe of her yo-yo so that the two of them could be alone.

"Ladybug?! These creatures are my sisters but they've gotten out of control!"

"There's a way you can help, if you're up for it", Ladybug said.

"Me? Help you heroes? Of course!", Alya said while taking out her phone. "Just wait until I tell Marin-"

"Hold up", Ladybug interrupted her. "This has got to stay a secret. You can't tell your friends or put it on your blog. Got it?"

"Oh, uh, yeah, of course." Alya put her phone away and Ladybug presented her with the fox miraculous, explaining that she had to return it as soon as tonight's job was done. She knew Alya loved superheroes and probably even dreamed of being one. She couldn't imagine bestowing a miraculous to anyone else first. Alya transformed and followed behind Ladybug across the rooftops.

She knew Alya was probably feeling a rush of excitement and she'd be lying if she said she didn't feel something too. Cat Noir was her treasured partner but there was something about getting able to do this sort of thing with your best friend. Even if Alya didn't realize it. They swooped in just at the right time to save said black cat from getting his miraculous stolen.

Cat Noir got to his feet and saw not one but two lovely super ladies before him. And he was nothing if not weak for women who looked like they could kick his ass.

"Who's the new friend?", he asked.

"Cat Noir, allow me to introduce you to uh...uh..."

"Um, Rena Rouge. My name's Rena Rouge."

"Well Rena Rouge, welcome to the team. If you need any superhero tips, you know who to call", Cat Noir said, kissing the back of her hand.

"Oh? Are you going to give me Ladybug's number?"

"She's good", Cat Noir smirked.

Ladybug gave him a nudge. "I only surround myself with the best you know. Now let's get down to business!"

The three of them took on the sapotis and Alya had to admit, it was a little cathartic to wack around these mini-monsters that her sisters had become. But even with the three of them, taking them on like this was too much, and eventually the sapotis realized that, ganging up on them, leading the trio to find refuge on a roof. They didn't have much time though, as the sapotis began to climb on top of each other.

"We're like a cat stuck up a tree here", Cat Noir quipped.

"Not for long. Lucky Charm!" This time a unicycle fell into Ladybug's hands. She began to look around for items to use it with and piece by piece, an idea form in her brain. Rena and Cat Noir kept the sapotis away while she grabbed all the materials she needed with her yo-yo.

"A unicycle, a trash can, are those brooms? Is it always this complicated?", Rena asked.

"Trust me, it gets even more convoluted than this", Cat Noir grinned.

"The plan's actually quite simple", Ladybug said.

With everything gathered, she left her two partners to assemble most of it according to her instructions, while she rode around town on a bicycle carriage, getting her voice to project with a traffic cone.

"Come one! Come all! To the best amusement park ever!"

While she lured the sapotis in one direction, Cat Noir and Rena Rouge finished building the contraption.

"Now it's all up to you", he said.

"No pressure, right?", Rena said nervously.

He smiled reassuringly. "Just take a deep breath and imagine what you wanna make. You can do this."

She took that deep breath and played on her flute, calling forth an illusion of a lively amusement park to fool the sapotis. Ladybug led them down an alley and with the use of the unicycle and some broom heads, they were able to take the hat off of every one of them and pile them up in a trash can. Cat Noir used his cataclysm on the can, reducing it to powder and all but the original two sapotis. The two girls returned to normal as Ladybug purified the akuma.

With her miraculous beeping and needing to keep her identity secret from the little girls as well as Cat Noir, Rena had no choice but to take off with Ladybug. Only after he promised to get the two kids home safely though. Ladybug and Rena returned to the apartment building and Alya dretransformed, hesitating to return the miraculous.

"You know, if I kept this, I could help you guys all the time. Maybe we could even defeat the bad guys once and for all", Alya reasoned.

"You have to trust me on this", Ladybug said. "I need you to return the miraculous. It's for your own safety."

Alya clutched the foxtail necklace, then looked to her kwami, Trixx. She knew she could be a great hero. She had proven that tonight. And she didn't understand why she wouldn't be able to keep the necklace the way she was sure that Ladybug and Cat Noir kept their miraculous. But...she remembered what Marinette had said earlier about tough decisions. This was a tough one to make. And Alya was sure it was tough for Ladybug to make as well. It probably would've been easier for her if she could just leave the miraculous with Alya and always know she had a second person watching her back.

But for reasons Alya didn't know, she had to give it back. And she trusted Ladybug to make the right decision. So she did.

Ladybug smiled brightly. "Thank you Alya. I know I can call on you again when I need help."

Alya nodded. "Anytime, Ladybug." She went back up to her apartment and opened the door to see Marinette burst out of it, out of breath.

"Where were you?! Things were going crazy here!"

"I uh, well I sorta got mixed up in all the chaos going on", Alya said. They checked the twins' bedroom and saw that they were tucked in and asleep. Both of them gave a silent thanks to Cat Noir and settled on the couch.

"Didn't think kids could get that wild", Marinette grinned, putting her hair in a sleeping bonnet.

"Tell me about it. I'll be glad when these villains call it quits. I'm just mad I was so busy chasing them around that I didn't get any footage of Ladybug or Cat Noir", Alya lamented.

"You know, I heard there was someone else with them tonight", Marinette grinned.

Alya perked up at that. "Really? What did you hear? What were they like? Did they have cool powers?"

"You know, we never did get to that movie", Marinette teased, turning on the movie.

"Oh come on. Tell me someone got video of them! Did anyone get a hashtag started?"

Marinette continued to grin at the way her friend behaved. Maybe one day, when this was all over, she could tell Alya everything. But for not, keeping the secret had its entertaining perks.

* * *

In his lair, Hawkmoth had begun to realize something. His hypothesis had been correct. There were more miraculous in the city. And more important than that was the possibility of a guardian protecting their secrets.

He was closer to his goal than ever before.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Up next: Captain Hardrock


	28. Captain Hardrock

"Alya, I appreciate that you want to help. But there's no way I can convince my grandpa to let me go", Marinette said, keeping her voice low. She spoke to Alya through a video chat on her phone, earbuds in. If Roland heard, there was no telling what he'd do.

"Marinette, it's just a musical performance", Alya said.

"Oh yeah it's just music. 'Hey Grandpa, can I go a listen to rock music on a houseboat owned by a single mother who lets her daughter dye her hair?' I think I might put him into an early grave with that", Marinette said, pacing around her room as she spoke.

Alya remained stationary while she spoke, sitting on a park bench. It was a Sunday and she was out with her little sister. They ran around with other kids while Alya talked.

"You said he was starting to let you do more things though, right?"

"Yeah, little things. Like actually hanging out with friends and not glaring at me when I wear pants. This might be a bit much for him." With a huge sigh, Marinette flopped onto her bed. "Some things are just always going to be out of reach for me, I guess."

"Nuh-uh. That's quitter talk. And I won't have it", Alya said resolutely. "We'll figure something out."

What they figured out was that it was okay to stretch the truth a little bit about where Marinette would be that day. She already did that before, when seeing her other relatives and even when hanging out with her friends on other days. And of course, whatever she got up to whenever she was in the middle of saving Paris. Marinette was afraid of disappointing her grandfather. Or even worse, angering him.

So Marinette told her grandfather she would be attending a classical music performance that day. She dressed in a long, dark blue skirt and a white short-sleeved blouse. After leaving home, she met Alya a couple of blocks away and they made their way to Juleka's place.

"Is Adrien coming?", Alya asked.

"He said he'd try the last time we talked. He seemed pretty confident", Marinette said.

When they got to the river, Marinette thought she knew what to expect from what Rose had told her about Juleka's home. It was a houseboat alright. And a very cluttered looking one at that. Marinette would never insult someone by saying their home looked messy but that was the first thing she had thought upon seeing it and stepping she walked around though she got the feeling that it was more like organized chaos.

It didn't smell like a dirty home. It smelled like fresh air was always blowing through and a bit like oranges. And none of the items lying around were actually in the way or dusty like they had been there a while.

When she and Alya arrived, Juleka, Rose and Ivan were doing checks on their equipment. Nino was preparing the sound system. Marinette made herself useful by making sure everything looked nice for the livestream she planned to do.

"How are things comin' mateys?", Anarka, Juleka's mother asked as she came upon the deck.

"They're coming along great Ms. Couffaine", Marinette answered with a smile.

"None of that 'Ms' business around here! Just call me Anarka. Is everyone here now?"

"Almost everyone", Nino said, starting to plug in things.

"Do we have an ETA on Adrien?", Alya turned to Marinette while setting up the tripod for her phone.

Marinette opened up her messages and asked Adrien if he was on his way yet. Her shoulders drooped with the reply she got moments later and she let out a sigh. Everyone could tell what that meant, but she confirmed it verbally anyway.

"His father changed his mind. Adrien can't come today."

"Bummer", Nino said. "But he'll be able to watch the stream instead!"

"Yeah, make sure you send him the link, Marinette", Alya reminded her.

She nodded and while she did that, Anarka told Juleka to go and get her brother from his room below deck. Marinette looked up at that, first looking to the band's set up. Ivan was on drums, Rose was the main vocalist, and Juleka had been tuning a bass before setting it down. She wanted what instrument her brother played.

"I didn't know Juleka had a brother", she said.

"Luka's really nice!", Rose exclaimed. "I'm sure you'll like him. He's a romantic soul who speaks from his heart with his music~!"

Marinette wasn't sure what to make of that, but when Luka appeared there was no doubting that he was related to Juleka. They both had similar styles and calm, quiet vibes. They even both had the tips of their hair dyed. Marinette couldn't help but stare. Her only experience with boys had been the ones in her class. And even though a couple of them dyed their hair they weren't as alternative looking at Luka. That and he was clearly a little older than the rest of them.

He followed Juleka and they continued doing checks on their instruments, preparing to start the show. For a moment, as he strummed his guitar, he looked up and met Marinette's eyes. He gave her a smile, which Marinette returned with a shyer version of her own, not knowing why her stomach was doing flips. Well actually, she did know why, but tried not to think about it too hard.

Once everything was ready, she sat with her friends in the audience and Mylene held out some ear buds to them.

"You're going to need these. Trust me", she warned them with an almost apologetic look on her face.

Alya and Marinette put them on and Alya started the stream. When they were ready, Luka raised his hand and started the song with one super loud chord that rocked Marinette to her core with its vibrations. She was thankful for the ear buds even though another note wasn't played after that. Barely a moment later, a police siren blared and Officer Roger pulled up, complaining about the loud noise.

"You're over the regulated limit!", he shouted in his bullhorn to Anarka.

"This is a music festival!", she shouted back with a microphone.

"A music festival! Not a noise festival!"

"Um, maybe we could turn the volume down just a bit?", Marinette suggested.

"I'll never yield to the law!", Anarka refused. "Whatever happened to freedom of expression?"

Officer Roger was having none of that though, and started handing out tickets like they were candy. Anarka ripped up each one, which resulted in more and more tickets. Frustrated and angry, Anarka stomped off to the wheel of the ship, intending to steer it further down the river and away from Roger. But when a black butterfly appeared and promised her justice, she took Hawkmoth up on his offer.

Marinette had been thinking of how they could still do the concert when the ship began to change under a thick, black fog. When it disappeared, Anarka showed herself, having thrown herself into the pirate persona.

"Mom?", Juleka called out, uncertain.

"I'm Captain Hardrock now! And our music will sound through Paris! And only our music! Start playing kids!"

"You can't do this", Luka said as the ship began to move to attack other performers. "This isn't what music and freedom is about!"

"Yeah! You can't just force people to listen to you!", Marinette added.

"Mutiny?! On my ship?!"

At Hardrock's command, chains shot out and wrapped around them all. The deck then lowered, causing them to fall and roll to be trapped under while the ship continued to move. Marinette struggled against the bindings, realizing at the last second that she was tied up with Luka. For a moment, she lost her focus, her mind only able to process the warmth of his back against hers. But she brought herself back to the present situation at hand and looked down at her purse, giving Tikki a discrete nod.

Tikki quickly went inside the padlock on their chains and released them. Luka turned his head first, then his body when he saw the chains fall from them. He looked to Marinette in awe.

"How did you do that?"

"Oh! Um, a uh, a bobby pin!", Marinette exclaimed, pulling one out from her purse. "Never leave home without it."

Luka stood and helped Marinette up to her feet. "That's amazing."

"Oh no, it's nothing", Marinette blushed as she looked away bashfully before looking back up at him through her lashes. "Amazing? Really?"

Alya cleared her throat then, reminding them they weren't alone and Marinette snatched her hands away from Luka's. Just as she was thinking of how to free the rest of her friends, approaching footsteps were heard. Luka grabbed her wrist and led her deeper into the ship into what looked like his and Juleka's quarters. He seemed to be thinking more quickly than her, because he pushed her under one of the beds and put a finger to his lips before going over to the window.

When his mother burst in, he pretended to be shouting at Marinette to escape out the window. He was then promptly recaptured and Captain Hardrock left the room with him. Marinette let out a sigh of relief before coming up from under the bed.

"He's quick on his feet", Marinette said, a little amazed herself.

Not wasting anymore time, she transformed and then leapt out the window to confront Hardrock. She saw that Cat Noir was already on the scene and taking her on. It was hard to get close to the captain though, as she continued to command chains to attack them. Ladybug deduced the akuma must be on the ship but they couldn't destroy it with the hostages.

"Can you keep her busy for me, kitty?"

"Can do", he replied with a salute. While Cat Noir took on Hardrock's full attention, Ladybug went under again and freed her friends. Luka was the first one to approach her, even quicker than Alya for once.

"Is Marinette safe?", he asked.

Ladybug nodded, trying not to blush at his obvious concern for her. "She's the one who alerted me." Which wasn't the first or biggest lie she had told today.

"She's incredible", Luka said.

Now it was impossible not to blush but Ladybug tried to keep a level head about it. "You've got to stay put until we can get you guys to safety", she said, deciding that now was a good time as any to call upon her Lucky Charm. When it produced a spotted chain, she wanted to groan. She had more chains than she knew what to do with. So she really didn't know what to do with this one.

Relieving Cat Noir of fighting solo, Ladybug tried figuring out just what to do with her charm. While they were tiring themselves out with the battle, Captain Hardrock continued down the Seine, shooting sound cannons at all the other participators of the festival. Ladybug can only really think of one way to use the chains now.

"It's time to take over this ship!", she said to Cat Noir.

He didn't know what she was planning, but he was always good at following her lead. So when she started running towards Hardrock, using the chains thrown at her as stepping stones, he followed suit. They used the spotted chain to tie her up against the wheel of the ship, the metal disrupting the compass and causing the ship to run aground and come to a stop. Safely on dry land, Cat Noir used his Cataclysm to destroy the akumatized vessel.

Ladybug then used her powers to restore everything back to normal. With all back in place, she made her fake-exit so that Marinette could reappear in her place. All the craziness done, Anarka finally conceded to a quieter concert. It was right to drown out other people's music, after all. Roger checked the volume and gave them the okay to play. Just after he left, Adrien came on board.

Marinette smiled as he greeted everyone before tripping over a case. She was both worried and a little amused at the rare lack of grace from him. He usually had the poise of, well a model. When he realized that he had tripped on a keyboard, he immediately started gushing over it while Luka helped him to his feet.

"We could always use a keyboard player", Luka said.

"And I've always wanted to play music with other people", Adrien replied, a faint blush on his cheeks.

The show went on, not as loud as before but no less bombastic with Rose's hard-hitting vocals and the rocking instrumentals. Marinette knew lying was wrong, knew that she hated being lied to herself. But she didn't regret where she was right now.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Up next is Syren!


	29. Syren

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> trust and believe, I've been trying to get this chapter done and published for like the past week. but life happens and....yeah...

"And then we spent about ten minutes arguing over the pronunciation before Marinette called up Bridgette and it turns out we were both getting it wrong. You can't believe how many times that's happened", Adrien laughed, nearly toppling from his sitting position.

Master Fu chuckled along with him while stirring something in a pot. He was currently trying to decipher the recipe for power up abilities for the miraculous, teaching Adrien more about them in the process, although they had gotten a little sidetracked in the conversation. Fu noticed that happened often and when it wasn't about Adrien's friends it was specifically about Marinette.

"I should get going soon", Adrien said. "I can only fool them with pre-recorded piano for so long. Thank you for today's lesson", he said with a bow. "I wish I could help you figure out everything."

"I'll get these recipes somehow", Fu said.

Fu walked Adrien out of the small kitchen he was using to prepare the potions to the main area where Plagg and Wayzz were waiting. Just as Adrien was opening the door, Marinette had raised her hand to knock on it. She was inches away from rapping her knuckles on Adrien's forehead.

"Oh! Sorry Adrien!", Marinette's face reddened.

"No harm done", he smiled.

The two of them stood there for a moment before Fu cleared his throat.

"Um, what're you doing here today?", Marinette asked.

"Uhhh, I came for a little physical therapy", Adrien said. "Piano playing AND fencing can be tough on my wrists. What about you? Isn't everyone else going out to the movies today?"

"Yeah, Alya invited me, but they're going to see something called Mega Monkeys 3 or something? And I haven't seen the other two."

"You haven't seen any of the Mecha Monkeys vs Cyber Sharks series? You and I have gotta do a double feature sometime!", Adrien exclaimed.

"Uh, yeah, sure", Marinette said. In all honesty, she wasn't sure if that movie series was for her, but Adrien and the others seemed to like it very much. They said their goodbyes and Adrien left while Marinette went inside. The moment the door closed, Tikki popped her head out from Marinette's purse then flew out to speak with Wayzz.

"How have you been Marinette?", Fu asked.

"Hawkmoth's been keeping us on our toes", she answered. "But thankfully we've defeated him every time. Still, I worry that more powerful akumas could come our way. Are you sure we can't give Alya the fox miraculous full time?"

"I understand your concerns Marinette. But rest assured, this is for the best. More miraculous might make akumas easier to defeat, but it means more wielders as well." When he saw her pout, he patted her shoulder. "Follow me. I have something to show you." When Tikki and Wayzz tried following, Fu held up his hand. "Kwamis can't know the secret recipes, lest they be found out by just anyone. What if you get captured like Nooroo and Duusu?"

Tikki and Wayzz's eyes widened at the mention of their old friends. Marinette followed Fu into the small kitchen area and he told her about the power up potions that were written in code.

"Cat Noir came by earlier to help but he wasn't able to come up with the hardest ingredient", Fu said.

"What makes it so hard?", Marinette asked.

"I need it for just about every recipe", Fu said. "But still the 'tear of joy' alludes me."

Marinette tried thinking of what that could even be while Fu listed the other things he had tried. A drop of chocolate sauce, sugar syrup, sunflower tea, among other things. Just as she was on the verge of something, Wayzz called out to them from behind the door.

"Master! Marinette! You've got to come and see this!"

They came out and noticed the room was tinted now. Outside the window was a raising water level. Luckily it didn't seem to be leaking into the building...yet.

"This has gotta be an akuma!", Marinette said, instantly transforming right there. "Master Fu, as for that last ingredient, why don't you get Wayzz to tell you a joke or two?"

Both Fu and Wayzz looked confused but after a moment, Fu realized where she was going with this. "I understand Ladybug."

With a confident smile, she left to go to the roof before swimming away, trying to find the source of the sudden water. She dived under and after swimming around, the saw the akuma, pulling Kim through the city. She flung her yo-yo and caught his leg, pulling him towards her. The akuma (a girl Ladybug didn't know) grabbed him and pulled him back.

Ladybug wasn't ready for her strength or for how hard it was to do this underwater while holding her breath. She had to let go and come up for air. She dived down just deep enough to see the akuma take Kim into the local pool. That building was almost certainly filled with water if she was treating it like a fortress. And she couldn't hold her breath for an entire battle.

She swung up to a roof. Hopefully Master Fu had figured out something by now. Just as she was about to head his way, she heard a splash in the water.

"Need your scuba gear M'Lady?" Cat Noir held up a small vial of some liquid and tossed it up to her. "Why don't you _cat_-ch up to me once you've got your sea legs?", he winked before diving under, his flippers splashing more as he went after the akuma. He must have gone to Fu's place and gotten a power up. Which means Master Fu got the recipe right at last!

Ladybug appeared at the pool just in time to see Cat Noir being thrown around by Syren. Seeing as he was keeping the akuma busy, she went right over to Kim who was being kept on a throne within his own air bubble. Maybe he could give some insight into defeating her. Cat Noir noticed Ladybug's arrival and did his best to keep Syren's eyes on him.

"You might think I like catfish but I'm actually more of a salmon person", he said. When he saw Ladybug pulling Kim outside, he finally pushed Syren off of him and swam after them, knowing he'd be quickly followed. Ladybug swam with purpose that told him she already had a plan in mind and he was ready to follow.

They trapped Syren in a car and using both his baton and her yo-yo, pulled the car up to the roof, rendering her advantages under the water useless. Ladybug opened the car door and removed the wristband Syren wore, breaking it in half. After returning everything back to normal, Ladybug brought the girl (whose name she learned was Ondine) back to the pool where Kim was waiting.

She hoped their feelings got resolved in a good way, whatever that ending was. Kim wasn't exactly subtle about his feelings for Chloe. While Ladybug went back to Fu's place to get the rundown on the power ups, Cat Noir returned home. He had a Chinese lesson later that day.

About an hour later though, he was surprised to see Master Fu in the place of his usual tutor. Nathalie brought him up and then left. Adrien had several questions, mostly about the whereabouts of his actual teacher.

"I've got a little something for you", Fu said, holding up a small container. When he opened it, it revealed an array of different colored cheeses inside. Plagg sagged at the prospect of more of this. It was strange not to see him get giddy for cheese.

"Portable and discrete", Adrien said, taking the container.

"Ladybug gave me the idea. Carrying around several little test tubes isn't entirely practical", Fu admitted sheepishly.

"Is there anything she isn't capable of?", Adrien swooned, holding the cheese to his chest.

Plagg openly gagged while Fu inwardly wondered how this would all play out in the end. He'd never reveal their identities to them. But there may come a time when it would be out of his hands.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Up next is Anansi


	30. Anansi

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> officially off hiatus! did yall miss me?

Marinette let out a sigh as she watched her social media feed. Alya and Nino were going to watch the fireworks tonight. She wanted to, but there was no way that her grandfather would let her out after dark. It was a long shot even before super villains were a thing. She was currently in her room, doing a bit of studying while chatting with Adrien online.

Online chatrooms made her nervous but when it was just her and Adrien, she didn't feel as bad for not knowing things about the internet everyone else their age did. And in between the jokes, memes, and reminders to study, he taught her a bit of internet lingo.

**Lotus17: You sure know your way around the internet**

**KuroxKunix13: when ur cooped up as much as i am you learn a thing or 2. just from being on here all the time**

As they talked and studied together, Marinette began to wind down as the sun set. She stretched her arms and was about to sign off with Adrien when she got an alert on her phone. Alya was live right now. It must be the fireworks show. Marinette messaged Adrien to check out the video before opening it up and realizing it wasn't a live blog about the fireworks.

"What's up from the Ladyblog! We've got a brand new akuma alert!", Alya announced, the camera shaky as she ran.

**KuroxKunix13: tenacious, isn't she?**

"This time, it's not really a mystery who it is. And I uh, I might've cause the akuma myself. Whoopsie?"

"Oh, Alya", Marinette said, facepalming. Of course not only did she get in the middle of an akuma attack, but now she was openly admitting to causing an akuma. Marinette was sure it was an accident, but now her friend was an actual target. Marinette quickly signed off online and continued to watch just enough to get an idea of where Alya was before leaping to action.

A few minutes later, Ladybug arrived on the scene as a tall, muscular akuma shot webs around. They seemed to be creating a perimeter around Alya, who was stuck to a web that was hung on the face of a building.

"Anyone who wants to date my sister has to defeat me! And Anansie ain't goin' down without a fight!"

"Looks like we need to whip out the spider traps", Cat Noir said as he landed next to Ladybug.

"Sounds like someone is an insectophobe~", Ladybug teased.

"I can't be. Some of my best friends are bugs", Cat Noir grinned.

"Ladybug and Cat Noir! Give me your miraculous!", Anansi shouted, leaving Alya's side to attack them.

The two heroes dodged the punches, a bit thrown off by the fact that there was more than just a pair of fists coming at them. Ladybug tried to wrap her up in her yo-yo but Anansi took the string in her hand and used it to pull Ladybug forward and land a punch right in her gut.

"Hey!", Cat Noir shouted. "You let her go!" He ran at Anansi with his staff extended. It gave him an advantage for a moment, being able to land a few blows while keeping his distance, but Anansi caught on quick and grabbed the staff, using it to launch Cat Noir far away from the fight. He flew through the air, landing with a grunt and a thud.

"Dude, are you okay?", Nino peeked out from his hiding place behind a car.

"I'll be fine", Cat Noir said, getting back to his feet. "You need to clear the area."

Nino stood up this full height, showing a blooming bruise on his cheek. "I'm not running away. She's got my girlfriend", he said, voice firm even though his body shook.

"Legally, I can't stop you. But I can't encourage it either."

As Cat Noir said this, he saw Ladybug flying through the air, having been thrown by Anansi. He held up his staff and went back to the fight. Nino looked around for something he could fight with. The best thing he could grab was a trash can lid. But he did grab it and he used it to go after Anansi.

"Hey arachna-freak!", he shouted, tossing the lid and nailing her right against the head.

She turned to retaliate in anger but Ladybug got her attention with her yo-yo again, sparing Nino from any other bruises. "You've got to get back! It's not safe!", she shouted.

"Ladybug! I have an idea", Cat Noir said as the two of them took on Anansi together again. "But I'm gonna have to leave you for a bit."

Ladybug gave him a look and she realized what he must be trying to do. She gave him a nod. "Go. I can keep her busy."

"You're pretty confident for such a tiny bug!", Anansi taunted.

Cat Noir took a jump back from the fight and took off, trusting Ladybug to cover him and keep Anansi on her toes while he went to Master Fu. He didn't know the identity of Rena Rouge, but he knew she was someone that Ladybug trusted with a miraculous, if only temporarily. Cat Noir disappeared and Adrien Agreste reappeared, arriving at Master Fu's place of business.

"Master, we need the help of another user. And I know just who to choose", he said.

"You know I don't take releasing another miraculous lightly. Even if it is just for a single fight. You must be sure that you want to do this. And sure of who you can trust", Fu said.

"I know. And I know he's more than worthy", Adrien smiled.

While he did his business with Master Fu, Ladybug kept changing tactics to keep Anansi distracted. If she was focused on Ladybug, then she wouldn't be attacking anyone who went within twenty feet of Alya. And despite her warnings, Nino still found ways into the fray.

"What happened to akumatize her like this?", Ladybug asked as she stood next to the web, watching Anansi attack Nino who was defending himself with a trash can lid.

"I uh, well, I snuck out when she told me I couldn't go out tonight", Alya admitted sheepishly. "But she's waaaay too overprotective!"

Nino was kicked away but saved from further injuries by Cat Noir catching him and apparently deciding to officially carry him away from the fight. Ladybug called on her Lucky Charm and was gifted with a roll of strange looking paper. When she touched it, she realized it was incredibly sticky.

"Fly paper, perfect!", she said to herself.

"You'll have to do better than some flimsy paper to beat me!", Anansi shouted, coming at her again with a two-fisted punch.

Ladybug flinched only to be saved in the nick of time by a turtle hero with a shield. He pushed Anansi back and Cat Noir joined his side.

"Who's the new friend?", Ladybug asked.

"He's uh..."

"I'm uh...Carapace. Yeah, Carapace. Nice to meet you du-Ladybug!"

"What's the plan, my lady?", Cat Noir asked.

"Just follow my lead!", she said, running out from behind them.

"Do you know what that meant?", Carapace questioned.

"You learn to read her subtleties", Cat Noir said with a smirk and a shrug, following behind Ladybug.

Carapace watched them move together for a moment before joining in. Ladybug circled around Anansi until Cat Noir got the villain's attention. With her distracted, Ladybug was able to set up the pieces of fly paper without Anansi noticing. Cat Noir attacked with his staff while Carapace defended with his shield, the two of them working in tandem.

"Ugh! I'm tired of you pet shop rejects!", Anansi shouted.

"Look who's talking!", Cat Noir replied cheekily.

Anansi spit out sticky webbing at him and Carapace, deciding to finish them off and take their miraculous once and for all. Knowing how sticky the webs were from how Alya barely budged, Carapace got in front of Cat Noir and raised his shield.

"Shellter!"

The webs bounced harmlessly off the green force field surrounding the two of them. Anansi shook in frustration and she tried punching through the magic shield to no avail. Behind Anansi, Ladybug signaled them and Carapace knew what to do. He took down the shield and immediately, Cat Noir went on the attack. Carapace jumped back and threw his shield right at Anansi's legs, knocking her off her feet.

As she fell, her hands each landed on a sheet of the fly paper, set up perfectly by Ladybug. Anansi shouted and struggled but couldn't free herself from the sticky trap. Cat Noir hummed leisurely as he strolled over to use his Cataclysm to destroy her helmet. Ladybug threw the remaining paper into the air, turning everything back to normal.

And the first thing Alya did was run right up to the new superhero and try to get everything she could on him. He was able to shyly introduce himself before Cat Noir nudged him and they had to make their exit. Ladybug waved her goodbyes too and took off. She did wonder who Carapace could be. But he had done a great job against the akuma this time and Cat Noir trusted him. And that was more than enough for her.

That feeling of confidence was taken away when she got home and was grounded because her grandfather had checked and she wasn't in her room after dark. And since she had no explanation for where she was, Marinette took the week's grounding.


	31. Sandboy

Marinette worked at her desk, sketching up some new designs. The fashion show was coming up soon and she was feeling inspired. So right now she was thinking up a whole line of outfits that would fit with the theme of the hat. Tikki watched her work.

"Marinette, why haven't you told your grandfather about the show yet?", she asked suddenly.

"What? Because he wouldn't understand. You know how he is, Tikki", Marinette paused, caught off by the question.

"But how do you know he wouldn't understand?"

"He wouldn't get why it's important to me." Marinette went back to drawing. It was getting close to bedtime and she needed to reach a satisfying stopping point before she turned in. "His only opinion on clothes is 'sew this, mend that and don't show your shoulders or calves'. If I showed him this, he'd think it was ridiculous."

Tikki pouted but let Marinette be, continuing to watch until she got ready for bed. Only then did Tikki gather the nerve to bring up what she wanted to discuss.

"Marinette, is it okay if I leave you alone for the night?"

"Leave me alone? Is there somewhere you want to go?", Marinette asked. She was in the middle of brushing her hair.

"Tonight is an important night. The other kwamis and I will be able to attempt to contact Nooroo."

"Nooroo?"

"Hawkmoth's kwami. There's no way he's willingly hurting people. If we can find him, we can find Hawkmoth", Tikki explained.

"Well, I can see how that's important...", Marinette said, although she was uncertain. What if Hawkmoth decided to akumatize someone? Then again, he rarely did it at night. She supposed he had to sleep too. "Okay. I'm sure nothing will happen while you're gone."

"Thank you Marinette!", Tikki exclaimed happily.

"You're welcome", she said through a yawn. Marinette put her brush down and lied down in bed. "I'll see you in the morning."

Tikki took one of Marinette's markers and then zipped through her window, flying through the night air. She was quickly joined by Plagg.

"Good evening Sugar Cube~"

"I told you not to call me that", Tikki frowned. "What did you tell Cat Noir?"

"My little kitten doesn't need to know everything I do", Plagg shrugged.

He was carrying a hunk of cheese that he decided right now was the perfect in-flight snack. Tikki rolled her eyes and then they arrived at Fu's place, but the master was already deep asleep. Wayzz however, was wide awake.

"You two go into the Miracle Box. I'll keep watch and try to alert you if the master awakens."

Tikki and Plagg nodded before entering the box and greeting their fellow kwami. Meanwhile, Hawkmoth was wide awake and ready to prey on a victim. And he found it in the form of a young boy, lying awake scared in bed thanks to a horror movie.

Marinette's dreams were peaceful until she felt something wash over. She sat up in a flash, instantly awake. Something had her paranoid and looking around. But she didn't know what she was looking for. Then suddenly her door slammed open and her grandfather barged in.

"Marinette! You are no granddaughter of mine!"

"W-what?", she squeaked, confused by what was happening.

"Tom should have never married your mother! That's why they died and left me with a half-breed to raise!"

Tears pricked the corner of her eyes. Her grandfather had never used such harsh language with her before. But even so, Marinette had always feared that this was what he truly thought of her. As he advanced, she got out of bed to keep away from him while he continued to shout at her. There wasn't much space in her bedroom but Marinette was able to circle so that she had access to the door. She ran out but wasn't sure where to go. She went to the kitchen and closed the doors, hoping he'd let up when she heard screams outside.

She went to the kitchen window and saw someone running from a giant spider. Another person was being pursued by a t-rex. They seemed like nightmares. Wait, nightmares? Marinette opened the kitchen and there was her grandfather. She noticed that he was still shouting about her shortcomings and not the fact that she'd run away and closed a door on him. He was red in the face too. This wasn't her grandfather. This was just a nightmare. For some reason everyone's nightmares were coming to life.

She switched places with Roland, pushing him into the kitchen and shutting the doors with him inside when she heard noises from another part of the apartment getting closer. Marinette hid behind the couch. Was it another one of her nightmares? Who would be next to tell her how much of a disappointment she was. She heard her grandfather's voice, but this time it was pleading.

"Marinette! Don't go!"

The real Roland came into the living room, chasing after an older version of Marinette. If that wasn't weird enough, she was dressed like her Grandma Gina, hair cut short and leather jacket, the whole thing.

"I don't wanna live with an old man like you anymore. I'm done with you. For good." Nightmare-Marinette then said something in Chinese that neither Real-Marinette nor Roland understood. But the way she cackled derisively got the point across. Roland continue to chase his own nightmare as she left the apartment and went into the streets.

Marinette waited a moment, hoping that perhaps Tikki might make her appearance. But when that didn't happen, she realized she had to go to Master Fu's home and get Tikki herself. She put on her shoes and ran outside where she saw more people running away from their worst dreams. She entered and saw that Fu was still asleep. Not wanting to wake him, she tiptoed over to the box holding all of the miraculous before realizing that she didn't know the code to open the box. She knew all the names and powers of the kwami and yet she couldn't even get inside.

She tried calling into the box for Tikki but it was no use. She had to wake up the master. Marinette knelt by him and nudged him awake.

"Master Fu! You've gotta get up!"

"Huh? Wha? Whuh? Marinette? What are you doing here?", he asked just as a magical-looking dust fell over him.

_'It's yoooooour faaaauuuult', _raspy voices called out in unison.

Fu's eyes widened in fear as ghostly monks floated before them. Marinette froze up. They looked vengeful and haggard. But she knew it was just a nightmare. It wasn't real. The ghosts couldn't hurt them. Fu didn't though.

"No! I didn't mean to! It wasn't my fault!"

"Master! Get a hold of yourself!", Marinette tried to fend the ghosts off with a pillow when something else barged into the room. The nightmare of her grandfather. It had followed her all the way here?!

"Marinette!", Tikki called as she flew from the box.

"Tikki Plagg?", Fu turned towards them as they made their appearance.

"I'll explain later, Master. Right now I need to stop Hawkmoth!", Marinette exclaimed.

She transformed and with the knowledge that this wasn't real, Fu was able to fend off his nightmares while Ladybug jumped to action and Plagg went off to find Adrien.

Ladybug swung around the city, searching for the source of the bad dreams. As she moved from roof to roof, she saw someone floating away on a pillow, the same dust falling from the bottom of the cushion.

"The Sandboy just checked in~ Now nightmares can begin~"

"Didn't take you for a night owl M'Lady", Cat Noir said as he came to land beside her.

"Cat Noir! Did you get attacked by a nightmare too?", she asked.

"Let's just say this cat doesn't like being put in a box. So what are you thinking? We take this guy out and finish in time for a midnight snack?"

"I don't know if it'll be that easy. But I would prefer to get this over with before sunrise", Ladybug said.

Cat Noir followed after Ladybug, all the while wondering just what her fear would be. They got Sandboy's attention, attacking him simultaneously. Unfortunately he was very good at maneuvering through the air on that pillow of his. And they have very limited air movement, despite their current set of powers. Missing her shot, Ladybug made the perfect target for him and got hit with the sand.

She fell to the street and Cat Noir was taking on the Sandboy solo, trying to cover her until she got back up. Ladybug slowly rose to her feet just as a mob slowly descended on her. They were faceless but numerous and they were all pointing fingers at her.

"She's just some little girl." / "Look at her, she can't do anything." / "_That's _Ladybug?" / "She's just a kid." / "Someone else should be Ladybug." / "Someone better." / "Anyone but her."

Ladybug shrunk in on herself as the crowd gathered around and Cat Noir began to see what was happening on the ground level.

"Ladybug!" He jumped down to stand between her and the crowd and then he was able to hear their jeering. "Don't listen to them! They're wrong about you!"

"No, they're right!", Ladybug hugged herself. "I wasn't meant to do this. I almost gave it up. I'm just..." She almost told Cat Noir her real name, who she really was. He had seen her as Marinette, he would know that she wasn't cut out for being a hero.

Cat Noir put a hand on his shoulder. "I only know what I see. And what I see is someone I'd follow to the ends of the earth. Someone who always finds a solution to everything. Someone who never gives up. Not on others and definitely not on herself. You've got this, Ladybug. You always do."

She looked up at him, starting to come around from his pep talk, a small smile showing through when the dust came over him. Sandboy cackled from above.

"Shouldn't let your guard down kitty!"

"Oh no!" Ladybug had been caught off guard because she hadn't considered that they'd have different fears for their different personas. She looped her yo-yo around a lampost and swung out of reach of the anonymous crowd, searching for Cat Noir's nightmare.

"What could it be?", she asked more to herself, although it was out loud.

Cat Noir shrugged, unbothered. "Big hairball?"

"There he is, my oh so trusted partner", a voice said from the other side of the roof.

The two heroes turned and saw an exact copy of Ladybug. Her tone was different. Filled with disappointment. Cat Noir took a step back, afraid of what she might say to him.

"I'm supposed to trust you, Cat Noir. But I hardly know anything about you."

"That...that's not my fault! We're supposed to keep secrets!", he argued, voice wavering.

Nightmare-bug stepped forward. "But you hide more than your identity. I know you do. You hide everything about yourself. And I can't fight alongside someone who lies to me everyday about who they are. Lucky Charm!"

In her hand landed a rapier sword. Cat Noir held his staff up in return, although he was trembling a little.

"Cat Noir, she's not real!", Ladybug shouted. "Her words don't mean anything, remember?"

"Stay out of this! You know this is what you really think!", Nightmare-bug yelled, going right for Cat Noir. His fencing training failed him in his moment of panic and that allowed the nightmare to get in close. The tip of her blade scratched his cheek.

Ladybug pushed her counterpart away from him and twirled her yo-yo to make a shield. She was just thinking that now was a good time to get her Lucky Charm and Nightmare-bug pulled one up for her. And it was actually perfect for the plan she had in mind. She just needed to get Cat Noir to keep his head.

"Cat Noir! We've gotta defeat this akuma! We can talk later but know that you're one of my most trusted friends!", she said as she fended off her nightmare self.

Cat Noir shook his head and took a deep breath. "Ladybug trusts me", he said to himself. "Ladybug trusts me. Ladybug trusts me. Ladybug trusts me!" With a yell, he lunged forward, taking over the fight. "What's the plan?!"

"Disarm, steal, up, slash!", Ladybug said, trying to pinpoint Sandboy in the sky. As she expected, he was still close by, waiting for an opening to take their miraculous. He wasn't going to get it though.

"Got it!", Cat Noir said, understanding right away. He parried and thrust with Nightmare-bug. The moment he conquered his fear of her, her fencing faltered and he was able to disarm her with ease. He tossed the rapier to Ladybug and she turn threw him the other end of her yo-yo. Cat Noir swung her around and with that momentum he launched her into the air, right at Sandboy.

Ladybug used the tip of the blade to tear the bottom of the cushion, allowing all of the sand to spill out, causing him to fall from the sky. Ladybug used the rapier Lucky Charm to turn everything back to normal before purifying the akuma. She was shocked to see that the akumatized victim was just a child. But then again, Hawkmoth had preyed on kids before.

"Good work out there", Cat Noir said, holding his fist up.

"You too", Ladybug smiled, knocking her knuckles gently with his.

Cat Noir took it upon himself to get the boy home, which freed Ladybug up to return to Fu's and explain what the kwamis were trying to do. She had wanted to ask him about those ghosts, the monks who blamed him for something, but it felt deeply personal. Marinette didn't know what she'd do if Cat Noir or anyone on the street had seen her being scolded by her grandfather. The things he said...

Her fears about not being loved by him and his fears about her leaving him forever. It felt like if they talked about it, they could come to an understanding. She got back home and laid in bed like she had always been there. Roland checked on her when things seemed to settle down, quietly opening the door and looking in, then closing it.

Marinette didn't want to leave her grandfather. She didn't want to lose him. But at the same time, she had to admit to herself that he needed to work on some things. But she could afford to be more open with him, she hoped that at least.

Her hopes were dashed when the next morning she tried to tell him about the fashion show and he made a rather troubling comment about a new Korean bakery that had just opened up downtown.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Up next: Style Queen


	32. Style Queen

Rose was practically bouncing for joy as she waited outside the gate of Marinette's home. She was trying to be discrete, in case her grandfather heard or saw, but she couldn't help it. They were attending a real live fashion show! And not just any show, but one headed by Paris' very own Gabriel Agreste, featuring a Marinette Dupain original!

"Juleka aren't you excited!", she asked, shaking, the other girl's arm.

"Yeah", Juleka replied, her tone flat.

But Rose could see the little bit of sparkle in the one eye that showed. She knew of Juleka's model aspirations and knew she was jumping for joy on the inside. Marinette finally came out hat box in her hands. She opened the gate and then closed it behind her.

"Okay", Marinette said before taking a deep breath. "I'm ready."

"I'm so glad you're letting us tag along~!", Rose said, incredibly thankful.

"Well, I had the passes and my grandpa didn't want to go so..." It hadn't been a tough decision to her surprise. Roland didn't know, so he was out. Alya got her own pass from Adrien. Nino was already attending the event as a feature DJ. And of the rest of her friends, Alix had little interest in fashion and Mylene was busy that day. Rose and Juleka were the only ones to express interest in going.

"I can't believe he wouldn't want to watch your triumph", Rose said as they boarded a bus to reach the other part of town.

"He's not really into this sort of thing", Marinette said.

When they arrived at the venue, the ropes and carpet were already set up. Cameras and reporters stood on either side, trying to get their best shots as celebrities made their way inside.

"There you guys are!", Alya called, jogging over to them. "Nino already went inside to do his soundcheck. Marinette I still can't believe you're being featured in a fashion show!"

"Y-yeah, it's kind of unbelievable isn't it? I mean, me? Designing? In a show? It's crazy right? Especially when I look like this", Marinette gestured to herself.

She had tried dressing at her most fashionable without tipping off her grandfather. Which meant a long denim skirt and a white blouse. But she still felt terribly out of place when she looked at the celebrities' designer wear. Or even when she looked at her friends' more contemporary clothes.

"Marinette, chill. You look great", Alya said.

"And you deserve to be here", Rose added. "You worked hard on your hat."

"Marinette Dupain?", Nathalie called out as she approached the group of girls. "Your friends can enter through the audience queue. You may come with me."

Marinette stiffened up and Alya gave her an encouraging nudge forward. "We'll see you inside."

Alya, Rose, and Juleka went to find their places in line and Marinette followed behind Nathalie. They went in through an out of sight side entrance and down a hall. Nathalie knocked on another door and Adrien opened it. He was dressed in an all black formal ensemble, the suit a plaid pattern. His eyes went from Nathalie to Marinette, who was partially behind her.

"Marinette! You made it!"

"Of course, couldn't miss this", she said, trying to keep the nervous stutter from her voice. She held the hat box out to Adrien, who took it.

"I can't wait to wear it and show everyone what a talent you are."

"You don't have to say that", Marinette played with the end of her braid, arranged in a crown across her head before ending over her shoulder. "I know it's not that great. It's nowhere near good enough for a show like this."

"What? Why would you say that?" Adrien opened the box to take out the hat inside. "I think it looks great. And my dad, you know, the world famous fashion designer must think so too. He wouldn't put your work in the show just because we're friends." That would require Gabriel to know who his friends are.

"You really think that?"

Adrien put the hat on with a smile. "One hundred percent honesty between us, remember?"

Obviously, lies of omission meant to keep her safe from akumas and Hawkmoth were a different thing but other than that, Adrien had vowed never to lie to her again. Marinette gave a shy smile, her spirits a little higher from the compliment and the assurance that they were his true feelings.

"It's almost time for the show", Nathalie reminded them. "Marinette, I'll show you to your seat."

"Oh, okay then. Good luck out there Adrien."

"I'll be at the top of my game with two lucky charms", Adrien winked, implying that he still carried the charm Marinette had given him on his person. As well as the fact that he considered the hat, handmade by Marinette, to be a second one. Marinette waved him goodbye before following after Nathalie to the showroom. She saw her friends sitting in the very first row.

But then she also saw Chloe making a fuss about something.

"You losers need to go to the nosebleed seats where you belong."

"Mrs. Bourgeois, Mr. Agreste has seats for you in the second row", Nathalie said to the woman who must have been Chloe's mother.

Marinette had never seen her before but she was clearly important. And in her own right too. Despite the mayor being there, Nathalie only spoke to Mrs. Bourgeois about the seating arrangement, taking her complaints at not being in the front row with a blank face. She even threatened to have the secretary fired to her face and tried calling Gabriel on the spot, only to get a voicemail.

"I take it I'm not fired then?", Nathalie said.

"You'll be sorry for this. No one puts Audrey Bourgeois in the second row! If I'm not here, then it isn't fashion! It's just garbage!"

She stomped off, followed by Chloe and Mr. Bourgeois. Nathalie gestured to the seat left empty and Marinette took it, making herself look small. She already felt like she didn't belong here. But her presence had booted out someone as important-looking as that woman? This had to be some sort of mistake. But here she was, surrounded by friends, Nino on stage behind the turntables, setting the mood as the show began.

A couple of other teen models went before Adrien, showcasing some monochrome formal wear. Then it was Adrien's turn. Marinette's eyes widened. The outfit had looked good on him in the dressing room. But watching him actually model it put it on another level. It was like he transformed into a different person and thus elevated the clothing.

Marinette hardly recognized her own work atop his head. Then, just as he was turning to make his way back up the catwalk, a glitter bomb exploded, then reformed into the shape of a person.

"Where is Gabriel Agreste!? Show yourself and kneel before Style Queen!"

"My father isn't here", Adrien said.

"Then I'll just have to make him come out of hiding. Let's start with Baby Agreste." Style Queen blasted Adrien with her scepter and turned him into a golden glittery statue.

"Adrien!", Marinette called out.

All the guests in attendance started to rush out the venue to get away from the akumatized villain. Marinette weaved through them to get backstage and transform. Alya had wanted to see more of the action but couldn't fight the wave pushing her out. Rose followed, keeping an unexpectedly firm grip on both her and Juleka as they were jostled by the crowd.

"We've got to stay together!"

Meanwhile, Ladybug made her appearance and found out rather quickly that this would be a tough battle. Not only could Style Queen move as she wanted in a cloud of glitter, but anything thrown went right through her. Then there was her scepter. Ladybug was thinking of her options. Cat Noir should be here soon. The news would be hard to ignore.

But if this proved too much for a pair of heroes, Alya and Nino were nearby. Then Chloe grabbed her mother's attention.

"Forget Ladybug, she's useless. I can tell you where Gabriel Agreste lives."

"He's the real catch after all", Style Queen said before using her staff to absorb Adrien's glitter-self. Then she in turn became a cloud and whisked Chloe away. Ladybug went after them, knowing the way to the Agreste Mansion herself. However, by the time she arrived, Style Queen had already checked the entire house and was off again to a different location.

"Why can't she keep still?", Ladybug bemoaned, swinging her yo-yo after the villain.

She got to the Eiffel Tower and kept her appearance covert while Style Queen made her announcement at the top of the tower. Ladybug found Adrien, sealed away behind a gold force field. She kept her voice low as she tried calling for Cat Noir on her yo-yo. Why hadn't he come yet? Where was he?

"Ladybug", Chloe whispered from Adrien's side. "You have to hurry, he's crumbling!"

Ladybug looked and saw that indeed, Adrien's feet and ankles were now just piles of glitter. And the rest of him was slowly following. And Style Queen had blasted others at the fashion show.

"Did you see where the akuma attached itself?"

"In the flower she gave to Adrien", Chloe said, pointing to the rose between the boy's lips. "Now hurry before Mommy comes back", she pleaded.

"It's so hard to find good help these days", Style Queen said before turning her own daughter into a glitter statue.

Ladybug jumped out of her not-so-secret hiding place before she could be glitterized as well. She called upon her Lucky Charm, only for it to summon a small mallet.

"What am I supposed to do with this? I can't even touch her."

"You haven't got it yet!", Style Queen said, lunging at Ladybug with her scepter. "I'm the most powerful! The most fashionable! I am the queen!"

Ladybug was able to dodge most of the attacks but fell with a kick to the stomach. For a moment, she dropped the mallet as Style Queen came upon her. Then it was as if a light bulb went off in her head.

"Aha! Of course!" She grabbed the mallet and swung away. Thankfully, she wasn't Style Queen's true target. Not until she got her revenge on Gabriel Agreste anyway. So Ladybug was able to escape without being pursued.

* * *

"Master Fu! Mrs. Bourgeois is terrorizing Paris and I don't know where Cat Noir is!", Marinette said as she came through the door.

"Don't worry about Cat Noir", Fu said.

"Yeah, he'll be fine", Plagg said before throwing a piece of cheese into his mouth.

Marinette saw the black cat kwami and connected the dots. This must be Cat Noir's kwami. The kwami of destruction. And if he was here, that meant Cat Noir couldn't transform.

"Why are you here? You have to get back to Cat Noir right away!"

"Unfortunately, my kitten was one of the people turned to glitter by that fashion lady. By the way, name's Plagg, nice to meet ya."

"Um, Marinette, pleasure", she replied. "If Cat Noir can't help me-"

"Then you'll have to get my help. But I don't come cheap. Camembert. Up front", Plagg demanded.

"Absolutely not!", Fu refused. "Your raw destructive strength is too much without a holder."

"Aww, come on. People like the Tower of Pisa _because_ it leans", Plagg said. "And no one misses the dinosaurs."

"I won't allow it. Marinette, you must enlist someone else to help you." Fu took out the miracle box and opened it up, revealing the remaining miraculous. Marinette considered Style Queen's powers and what she knew about the miraculous. With determination, she picked the bee miraculous and returned to the Eiffel Tower. Style Queen saw her coming from her perch and went back to the inner section of the tower to fight her.

Meanwhile, Alya of course, was trying to follow the battle. She climbed the stairs, phone in hand, recording. She had separated from Rose and Juleka when she saw Style Queen first get to the tower.

"You know, you shouldn't always be so quick to run into danger", Ladybug said.

"If I don't I can't get the scoop."

Ladybug shook her head at her friend's answer. But as much as she tried discouraging it, that stubbornness of Alya's made her perfect for this job.

"I need your help this time. This is the bee miraculous, which grants the power of subjection-"

"Found you!" Style Queen shot a blast just as Ladybug was holding out the box to Alya. Thinking quick, Alya pushed her out of the way and got glitterized instead, frozen in mid-push. Ladybug fell to the ground, dropping the box and watching as it fell further down the tower.

"No!"

Her despair was cut short as she had to dodge to keep away from Style Queen. No other options left, she called upon her Lucky Charm for the second time that day. This time it gave her a tube of glue. Glitter...glue...this just might work if she can find something like...something like...

"Perfect!", she said to herself as she found a flag.

With the glue spread onto it, she was able to run it through Style Queen and parts of her body stuck to the flag. The two of them flew through the tower, more and more of Style Queen getting swiped away. Frustrated, she sped through the air as a cloud, attacking Ladybug from all sides until she dropped the flag and fell against Adrien's shiny coffin.

"You're done for Ladybug!"

"Not so fast!", Plagg shouted, suddenly zooming in between them. Both Ladybug and Style Queen were speechless. "Cataclysm!" As dark energy bubbled around Plagg's paw, he gave the tower level a dainty touch and suddenly the whole thing was falling about around them. It creaked and metal beams fell. One landed and then bounced off Adrien's trap, cracking it just enough.

Ladybug grabbed the rose off his lips and rip it, releasing the akuma, changing Mrs. Bourgeois back, and turning everything back to normal. Chloe gathered her mother and took her back to the venue.

"The show! I've gotta get back too", Adrien said.

"I could give you a lift if you like", Ladybug offered.

He held on tight as they moved from the tower, through the city, and back to the fashion show. She tried to remind herself that there was no reason for Ladybug to feel awkward around Adrien. But being his friend had her second guessing herself. How familiar should she be with him as Ladybug? How much was too much?

"Thanks for the trip. And for saving my life too", Adrien smiled.

"My pleasure."

He waved before going back inside and she found a secluded wall to detransform. But before she could go back to her seat, Tikki reminded her of the lost bee miraculous still at the Eiffel Tower. But before she could transform and return, she was accosted by Rose.

"Where have you been?! We were so worried!"

"I uh, got uh, turned into a statue. Where have you guys been?", Marinette asked.

"Alya went all the way to the Eiffel Tower following Ladybug", Rose said. "I tried going after her, but I lost her after a while. And after I told her we should stay together. I sent Juleka back here in case you were hiding here, but she said she couldn't find you."

"Oh! I was! When I got turned I was...uh, you know, my hiding place was pretty good but not good enough to that Style Queen."

"Well, let's get back inside, they're going to start up again."

Rose pulled her along so that they could get to their seats. Juleka walked alongside them. Marinette hoped the show finished up quickly so that she could go and retrieve the bee miraculous.

Rose hoped the show finished up quickly so that she could go and figure out a way to return the hexagonal box Ladybug had dropped.


	33. Queen Wasp [REVISED]

The show resumed with Adrien going back onto the catwalk, strutting his stuff. Back into blogging mode, Alya was filming the whole thing, making sure to mention the hat he wore was made by her very best friend Marinette. On Marinette's other side, Rose grabbed her shoulder in support. Alya was about to get a comment from Marinette about it when something shocked everyone.

As Adrien was turning to go back, he was faced with his father. He froze and he wasn't the only one. Everyone in the audience was stuck in place. The Gabriel Agreste, coming out of his home, in public. And it had been so long. Gabriel walked right up to Adrien and embraced him.

Marinette watched on with wide eyes. She was happy for Adrien when she saw him hug his father back. Although a part of her couldn't help the twinge of envy. Would her grandfather be so warm with her at an event like this?

The show ended and Marinette had been ready to go home, but Nathalie came up to her to escort her right to Gabriel, since he had made an appearance. Alya, Juleka, and Rose followed behind and soon they were face to face with Gabriel Agreste. Adrien was at his side, giving them a wave while his father placated the one and only Audrey Bourgeois.

Audrey at one point looked to Marinette and though they were hidden behind thick sunglasses, she could feel those piercing eyes. Audrey plucked the hat right from atop Adrien's head.

"This isn't a Gabriel original. Are you the one responsible?", she pointed the sharp question at Marinette.

"I uh, well um I-"

"That's Marinette Dupain", Chloe spat, seeing an prime opportunity for some ridicule. "She thinks she's some kind of fashion designer even though she dresses like an old maid."

Audrey only seemed to hear the bare minimum of her daughter's words as she looked over the hat. After a moment, she even lowered her glasses to look at the hat and then at Marinette.

"So you wanna be in fashion, kid?"

Marinette nodded, not trusting her own words.

"How's about coming to New York with me? I can make you a real star, like I did with Gabriel here."

"You...want me?" Marinette could hardly believe her ears. Her simple hat had impressed not one, but two designers considered the top of their fields. She looked to her friends, as if trying to confirm that this was real.

"Isn't that great Marinette?!", Rose exclaimed.

Alya shook her shoulder. "You're movin' up in the world."

"I'd love to model more of your designs", Adrien smiled. "Isn't this great, Chloe?"

They all turned towards their classmate only to see her face turning red. She looked like a bomb ready to explode. And explode she did.

"NO! This isn't great! Mommy, you never took me to New York and you're taking Dupain! What's she got that I don't have?!"

"What she has is talent and something to show for it", Audrey said, her words cold. "When you can actually produce something of note, I'll consider taking you with me to New York. My helicopter leaves at six, Marinette. If you're coming, don't be late. And you there with the long legs and pouty lips, come see me in a few years. I'll turn you into a catwalk queen", she said to Juleka.

Audrey walked off with that, ignoring the sputters of her family as they followed behind. Everyone was left a little stunned at what had just went down, most of all Marinette. She had been offered a once in a lifetime opportunity. To study abroad and apprentice in fashion. She felt herself rise a little until realizing there was no way she could go through with it. Not without telling her grandfather. And he might lock her in an actual dungeon if he knew.

"We should get going as well", Gabriel said, putting a hand on his son's shoulder to lead him out.

"I'll see you guys at school."

The girls all waved and began to make their own way out. Alya offered to walk Marinette home, but she declined. She still needed to go back to the Eiffel Tower and find the bee miraculous. And also figure out a way to refuse Audrey Bourgeois' offer without offending her and ruining her career before it began. Marinette ran to to the tower, panting by the time she got there. She let out a sigh when she realized she had to search the entire tower.

* * *

Rose waved goodbye to Juleka as she went into her house. She was still thinking of how to return the box to Ladybug as she set it on her bed, curiosity rocking her. What could be inside? What belonged to a superhero? Could it be a magic portal? A hammerspace box? Or maybe it was just a decorative container for her daily medicine. Anything could be possible.

Would it hurt to look? To take a tiny peek? Maybe if she knew what it was, she would have a better chance of returning it. Maybe it was a perishable! And if it was something secret, like perhaps an ID card, Rose would just promise to keep her lips sealed. Holding her breath, she opened up the box and first saw a comb, then a blinding light.

"Wah!", she squealed, falling backwards and shielding her eyes. When the light died down, she uncovered them to see a strange bee-like creature before her.

"How may I serve you my queen?"

The first thing that came to Rose's mind were those episodes of a show where an alien or magical creature mistook a main character for royalty. And how it was all fun and games until the truth was revealed.

"No no no! I'm not a queen. I'm Rose. Just Rose. And who are you?"

"Pollen, at your service. I am the Bee kwami, the kwami of subjection."

"A kwami? Subjection? What does all of this mean?"

Pollen tilted her head, just as confused as Rose. "Surely Ladybug or Cat Noir explained the details. Although I wonder where the akuma must be."

"Akuma? There's not akuma", Rose said.

"Rose! Are you home?!", her mother called from downstairs.

"Yes!", she said back.

"Good! Stay indoors! An akuma alert has been raised!"

Rose quickly whipped out her phone and brought up the latest news stream to see what was going on. Nadja Chamack reported from the studio about a dangerous villain going around and effecting people.

"Whoever she is, she's going through Paris and as she touches people with her scepter, they become her loyal subjects."

The video next to Nadja enlarged to show a young lady in a big, poofy dress of mostly white with accents of black and red. She walked through town, followed by citizens who bowed and showered her with compliments.

"Once the Queen of Hearts commands you, you'll be unable to resist singing my praises, heralding my accomplishments, and shouting to all who can hear how great I am!"

"There's the akumatized", Pollen said. "We must do something about her."

"We? Including me?", Rose pointed at herself.

"You have the bee miraculous. Even if it wasn't given to you by Ladybug or Cat Noir, it must mean something. There are no coincidences."

Rose looked to the comb and took it into her hands. The work appeared delicate but it felt strong in her hands. Could she really do this? Was she the right one for the job?

"When I'm finished helping them, I'll give it back to Ladybug."

"Are you certain you wouldn't want this power for yourself? You could become Paris' new golden hero", Pollen suggested, testing Rose's resolve.

"I couldn't do that", Rose immediately refused. "Ladybug is probably worried sick over losing this. Just tell me what I have to do."

Pollen smiled, satisfied that she had been picked up by the right person and told Rose all of the miraculous' powers and limitations. Rose took it all in, trying not to rush because there was so much she didn't know but also trying not to ask too many questions because they were short on time.

"Pollen, Buzz On!"

* * *

Ladybug avoided Queen of Hearts' scepter. Despite her large dress, she was surprisingly agile. While she handled her, Cat Nor kept the 'subjects' back, trying his best to do so without hurting them.

"The Queen is the most beautiful!"

"She is the most talented!"

"She deserves the world!"

"You guys are the worst kind of fans", Cat Noir quipped.

Need to take a step back and reassess, he jumped away at the same time Ladybug did, the both of them in sync. Queen of Hearts continued down her path to the Eiffel Tower.

"Style Queen turned this into a mere lair. But it shall be my castle!"

Cat Noir shrugged. "It is prime real estate, but a little drafty for my tastes."

"Enough jokes", Ladybug groaned. "At this rate, she'll have all of Paris under her control."

"What are you thinking? Akuma in the scepter?", Cat Noir asked.

"Or in the crown. We can't be sure. But it won't be easy. We can't get close to her without a fight and even when we do, she's impossible to pin down." Ladybug wanted to pull her hair out. This would have been a perfect job for the bee.

"Ladybug! Cat Noir!"

Both turned and coming by way of spinning top, a stranger landed next to them gracefully on pointed toes. Black ballet flats led to a puffy yellow tutu. The honeycomb that was the vessel of the bee miraculous sat like a jewel on the center of a fluffy black headpiece. Big, blue eyes looked at them from behind a black and yellow mask.

"The bee? I didn't even see you go to the guardian this time", Cat Noir said. "And who do I have the pleasure of meeting?"

Ladybug sputtered in the background as the newcomer introduced herself as Royale. Someone had found the miraculous! And they were using it! How was she ever going to give it back now?

"Ladybug", Royale addressed, coming up close and whispering in a low voice. "I can explain later, but don't worry, I'm giving it back."

"Y-you are?" Ladybug wondered if her freak out was that obvious that Royale knew exactly what she'd been stressing over. But Cat Noir was looking on as oblivious as ever. As if reading her mind, Royale winked. She'd dealt with meltdowns from Marinette before and knew the warning signs. Right now, they all needed to keep their cool.

"Right. With your power, we can immobilize her", Ladybug said, looking one of the tower's highest levels. Queen of Hearts had set herself up there was a throne made her her subjects. "Cat Noir, do you mind being the decoy?"

"Because my personality is so captivating?", he fluttered his lashes.

"Because you're good at annoying people to the point where they can't concentrate on anything else", she teased, flicking his bell. "Don't worry, it'll be a two-man job."

The three heroes fought their way up the tower, Ladybug flitting about, Cat Noir slinking up, and Royale twirling her way through. Cat Noir arrived first, planting himself right in front of Queen of Hearts.

"You know, you should really think about redecorating if this is gonna be your castle. Maybe a few turrets? Or a moat to keep the commoners out?"

"You mean like you?", she spat, standing to her feet. "Get him!", she commanded.

In one fell swoop, Cat Noir swept the civilians onto his staff and with some twisting, deposited them on a lower level where they'd be safe until this was all over. He face the Queen with a smirk.

"Just you and me now."

"You think I'm an idiot? I know Ladybug is right behind me."

"More like above!", Ladybug shouted, falling from a higher height and coming to stand right beside Cat Noir. "Now it's you and me and him."

"And even with a partner you're going to lose! You need to start employing more help."

Just as she was about to charge at them with her scepter, she froze in place with a shocked expression. Royale peeked out from behind her.

"I think Ladybug has all the help she needs."

Cat Noir and Ladybug came up to the Queen. Cat Noir took the scepter and Royale took the crown. They broke both and the akuma flew from the bejeweled rod. Ladybug captured it, revealing the Queen of Hearts to be none other than Chloe. She looked up at the trio of heroes in shame. She began to sniffle. Ladybug knelt next to her and put a hand on her shoulder.

"Chloe, I can understand wanting to be praised. But this isn't the way to do it."

"But what am I supposed to do? There's nothing special about me. There's no reason for my mom to stay here."

"If she needs a reason other than to see her daughter, then that's her problem, not yours", Cat Noir said.

"And it's never too late to find something you're passionate about", Royale said. "Just make sure you're doing it for you and not to seek approval from anyone else."

Chloe wiped some stray tears away and sniffled some more. "Who are you?"

"Oh! Uh, no one important!"

"Cat Noir, can you get Chloe home okay?", Ladybug asked. "I have some business."

"As the queen of my dreams, I am at your command M'Lady", he bowed before taking Chloe.

Once alone, Royale removed the honeycomb, causing the transformation to fall.

"You-!?", Ladybug cut herself off.

"Huh? You know who I am?", Rose asked.

"No I uh-Just that I-I didn't think the user would be someone so cute!", Ladybug said hastily, causing Rose to blush. "Thank you for your help today. And for covering my mistake. I don't know how I'll ever repay you."

"You're the one who saves Paris every day", Rose said, handing the comb back. "If I can help out here and there sometimes, I always will."

Ladybug beamed. It would have been great to end the day on that, but she still had one more thing to do. After getting Rose down the tower and going through town, she de-transformed before heading into the Bourgeois' hotel.

* * *

"Where is that Marinette girl? We're going to be late", Audrey demanded, tapping her foot.

Just moments after she said that, Marinette made her appearance. Audrey found it strange that she had no luggage, but shrugged it off. She could get the girl a more modern wardrobe in New York once they landed.

"It's about time. Get on! We've got a schedule to keep."

"I'm sorry, but I won't be going with you", Marinette said, her voice firm.

"Excuse me?"

Marinette began to fidget with the hem of her shirt. "I...I said I'm not going. I can't go with you to New York. I'm sorry. I wish I could take advantage of this opportunity, but it just isn't the right time."

"The right time is always now", Audrey said. "Are you really going to throw away this chance? I might never come back to Paris you know."

"I think you should reconsider that. You've got a lot of good things waiting for you here", Marinette pointed off to the side where Chloe stood with a mountain of bags.

"Ch...Chloe", Audrey said as if the words were unfamiliar to her.

"Mom...why don't you love me?", Chloe asked, on the verge of tears again.

"I uh, but I, I do lo...", Audrey cleared her throat, caught off guard by the question.

"Mrs. Bourgeois", Marinette started. "I don't know your situation, but I do know a mother should be there for her daughter when she can." She went over to Chloe and put a hand on her shoulder. "I lost my mother at a young age. And even though that was a long time ago, I'd give anything to have her back. I can only imagine how Chloe must feel, knowing her mother is only an ocean away and yet refuses to see her."

Audrey removed her sunglasses and looked down. "I've just been so busy. Running a magazine isn't easy you know and I had you so young, I didn't know what to do with you, and I just...", she took a deep breath, stopping her excuses. "I'm sorry Chloe, for making you feel like I didn't love you. Of course I do. I just thought you didn't need me. You have your father and butlers and everything you could have wanted...Did you really miss me?"

Chloe nodded as tears began to fall. She had everything she wanted, except for a mother's presence. Audrey walked over and stiffly hugged her, but she tightened her embrace as Chloe melted into it.

Marinette wiped a stray tear of her own and turned away before she started to cry more. "See you in class, Chloe."

"Dupain, wait!"

Chloe pulled away from her mom and reached out to grab Marinette's wrist. Both girls stared at each other, caught in a strange moment.

"Th...thank you...Marinette", Chloe said in a barely audible voice.

"You're welcome, Chloe", Marinette smiled.

She left to return the bee miraculous to Master Fu at last, apologizing for her treatment of it, but thankfully he was lenient about it since it all turned out alright. Absolutely exhausted, she got home, ready to collapse onto her bed.

What she didn't know was that her grandfather was waiting for her.


	34. Chapter 34

Roland had a lot of time to consider Marinette's punishment. He had heard from a neighbor how proud he must be of his granddaughter that she was a fashion designer. Roland wasn't sure if he'd call mending pants designing but then they'd showed him a picture on their phone (those blasted wastes of metal and plastic). It was an online article. And it was about Marinette!

Of course such a major event was all over the news, including local news outlets. They all speculated and reported on the young girl who had won a contest and was given the chance to be featured in a Gabriel Agreste fashion show. Who was she? His apprentice? The daughter of a fellow designer? Perhaps a wunderkind? Whoever she was, they wanted to know.

And Roland wanted to know how Marinette could keep this from him. When she finally returned home, he was ready. He took away her phone and told her to go to her room and not to leave without his permission. He was so furious with her. She had been lying to him for months. This had to be the fault of her friends. He just couldn't figure out which one exactly.

Either way, some time away from them would do her good. Roland took the phone to his room and locked it in the safe. She could get it when she'd proven to him that she could be trusted with it.

That evening as he finished up a soup for dinner, he almost called out to her. But she was being punished for her deception. And back in his day children either got the belt or went without dinner for one night. In Roland's mind, he was going easy on her, considering her transgressions.

* * *

The next day was still the weekend, so Marinette didn't have school. When it got to noon and Roland noticed her door hadn't opened, he entered without knocking and found her still in bed.

"What are you doing lazing about? You still have chores to do. Get up", he ordered.

When Marinette began to move, he left. He had heard her phone making noises in the middle of the night and this morning which meant people were trying to contact her. But he wouldn't allow it until she had learned her lesson. After cleaning the kitchen and the living room and doing the laundry, he had Marinette making bread for a few hours. Baking was somewhat of a leisurely activity, but bread-making itself was character building.

When they ran out of rosemary, he went to the market to buy more. Usually he sent Marinette out on that kind of errand but it was clear he'd been giving her too much free time. But while he was out, he happened to get a call from Gina.

"What do you want?", he answered.

"I've been trying to congratulate Marinette on her fashion show but she's not answering. Do you know if she's lost her phone?"

"She's grounded", Roland said.

"Grounded? For what?"

"For lying to me. I hadn't a single idea of what she was doing."

"Roland, she's a teenager, it's not like she tells you everything", Gina said.

"That is unacceptable!", Roland shouted before hanging up, his anger renewed.

If Marinette had hidden this much from him, what more was he keeping a secret? He couldn't even imagine. Well he could, but it made him see red. Was she dating a boy? Getting strange new ideas? Dressing provocatively? Marinette was just a child. Even worse, she was a girl. If she was getting up to trouble at this young age, it could lead to a mistake.

Seeing Marinette with a suitable man and having children was one of his dreams, but it was supposed to happen at the right age. She shouldn't be fooling around now!

* * *

Gabriel could feel surges of negative energy, reminding him that he still held onto the butterfly miraculous. With a sigh, he removed it and placed it back into its box. With a whoosh, Nooroo went back into the miraculous, having been renounced. After the failures of both Style Queen and Queen of Hearts...

Gabriel had finally thought he would succeed. But Style Queen had put Adrien right in the line of fire. And that was unforgivable. He'd tried again right away with Queen of Hearts, thinking there couldn't be an akuma more powerful than Chloe Bourgeois. But he had been wrong. Gabriel couldn't do this anymore. At least not the way he'd been doing.

He had to figure out a way to bring his wife back without endangering his son so much with so little results. Maybe it was time to tell Adrien all about his mother and their past with the miraculous.

Meanwhile, Adrien had texted Marinette for the fifth time that day, wondering why she wasn't answering.

"She's probably busy", Plagg said as he looked between a cube of cheddar and a cube of pepper jack.

"Probably", Adrien agreed.

He had just thought it was weird. Even when she was busy, she usually sent something after a few hours, even if it was just an emoji. But there was nothing. That 'nothing' felt more foreboding when the next day at school, Marinette was absent. And neither Alya nor Nino or really anyone else knew why. She hadn't talked to them since the fashion show.

"Do you think she might be sick?", Nino asked.

"That might be it...But she seemed perfectly healthy during the show", Alya said.

"What if she got hurt during one of the attacks?", Adrien asked, suddenly his anxiety was beginning to rise. There were two in one day and while he usually counted on Ladybug turning everything back to normal. But what if Marinette had gotten hurt and it wasn't fixed? What if she was still lying in an alley somewhere, unable to move?

"If that was true, she'd still have her phone on her", Alya pointed out. "Maybe her battery went dead. She is still kind of new with technology."

And that was that for the rest of the day. The three of them, as well as the rest of the class figured they would see her tomorrow. But then Marinette was absent the next day as well.

By the time Gina arrived in Paris to see Marinette and spend some quality time with her, Marinette had been absent from school for three days.


	35. Befana [REVISED]

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yall had some uh  
Strong reactions to the last chapter huh

Gina rang the bell and waited for Roland to answer. She no longer had a key to the gate. She hadn't had one for a long time.

"Who is it? What do you want?", Roland's snappy voice answered.

"It's me~ Let me in."

The gate unlocked and Gina entered. When she got up to the apartment, she was surprised to see Marinette there, sweeping the floor.

"Marinette? It's the middle of the week, shouldn't you be in school?" Gina tried to remember what she could about the academic calendar, which admittedly wasn't a lot, but she was rather sure school was in session.

"I'm-"

"She's grounded. And working off her punishment. Get back to sweeping", Roland ordered.

"Roland, I came here to see my granddaughter, not watch her do chores. Take a break Marinette. I brought you something."

Marinette paused in her sweeping but didn't let go of the broom, afraid of what her grandfather would say. Gina set down her suitcase and opened it, pulling out a small bag. Marinette finally set the broom against the wall to accept the bag. She opened it up and pulled out and it was a thin looking spaghetti strap shirt with Chinese writing on it.

"Um..."

"I actually didn't get this in China but from an Asian street vendor in America. I asked him to write your name in Chinese but obviously I can't tell. But maybe one day we can learn together."

"How could you get her such a gift?", Roland demanded to know. "She's not wearing that in public!"

Marinette had her own reservations. She still wasn't used to showing as much skin as the shirt showed, even though it was mostly harmless. Maybe she could wear a jacket over it. But then there was the Chinese writing. Marinette couldn't read the language that well yet, but there was no way she could confess to learning in secret right in front of Roland.

"This is what girls wear nowadays", Gina said. "Isn't that right Marinette?"

"Uh-"

"It is not what my granddaughter wears. It's shameful."

"What's shameful is punishing her for excellence. You can't keep her locked away and especially not from school."

"I can do whatever I want. It's for her own good. Keeping secrets is bad behavior. And you have no place to tell me how to raise her. It's none of your business!", Roland shouted.

Gina put a hand to her chest in shock. "None of my business? She's my-"

"You gave up that claim several times. Once when you divorced me and again when you gave your blessing to that woman our son married and again when you decided that traveling the world was more important than raising a child!"

Marinette watched the back and forth, wishing it would stop. She wanted them to listen to her for once. But she was also at a loss of what to say to either of them. Her grandfather was too controlling and he never let her get a word in. But at the same time, her nonna was rarely around and Marinette felt like she could talk to her about anything important.

* * *

"You said you were going to stop", Nathalie said as Gabriel transformed.

"No, what I need to do is plan", Hawkmoth answered. "I will succeed. No matter the cost."

"Even if the cost is Adrien?", she asked.

"He should be in his room right now." It was the lunch hour and Adrien had returned for his meal. "See to it that he doesn't leave." An akuma attack would provide the perfect excuse for staying home.

Meanwhile, up in said room, Adrien was on a video call with his friends and classmates. All of their class was here, along with Luka who was on the phone with his sister, and Kagami.

"Why exactly did you call me here for this?", Kagami asked.

"Because you're decisive and insightful", Adrien said. "And we're gonna need all the help we can get."

"Do you really think Marinette's in that much trouble?", Ivan asked.

"We should be sure before we do anything big", Alix said.

"If you alert the authorities without any proof it will only make things worse for Marinette, regardless of how bad things are now", Kagami said.

"Wait guys!", Alya blurted. "I just got an akuma alert!"

"Can't that wait until after we help our friend?", Nino tried getting her back on track.

"It's happening at Marinette's place!", Alya shouted.

Adrien jumped to his feet and turned on his tv. Sure enough, Nadja Chamack was reporting on a strange happening that could only be an akuma. The building Marinette lived in was now a brightly colored house.

"Uh..guys...", Alya said in a worried voice, prompting Adrien to go back to his computer just in time to see Alya get scooped into a bag and drop her phone. A kindly looking old lady hopped onto her broom and sped off.

"Did she...did she just get sack-napped?!", Nino shouted.

Before anyone could answer him, Nino was swept up in a bag himself. Adrien turned off the camera and turned to Plagg who let out a heavy sigh.

"I guess it's go time, huh?"

Adrien nodded but was stopped by a shadow sweeping over his window. Plagg hid away in Adrien's clothes in time to keep from being seen by the akuma who came through his open window.

"There you are~ Adrien Agreste. One of Marinette's friends!"

"How do you know that?"

"A nonna always knows", she beamed.

She looked like the nicest akuma Adrien had ever seen. She had a big, pointy hat and her skin was green. But she was also wearing a lightly colored dress and an apron.

"A nonna? You're Marinette's gran-"

He was scooped up just as easily as the others and when he opened his eyes, he was floating around in a void. Alya and Nino were there as well, floating aimlessly.

"Guys? What's going on?"

"We're just as in the dark as you, Agreste", Alya said, arms crossed. They were then suddenly thrown into the light as the bag was emptied and fell to a soft, carpeted floor.

"Marinette~ I brought your friends. Play along nicely now. I'll be in the kitchen~"

Marinette was indeed there, swaddled in a thick sweater that made it difficult to move her arms. Her eyes widened as she saw the three of them appear. Her grandmother, no, Befana went into the kitchen and closed the door to continue baking.

"Are you guys okay?!", she asked hurriedly in a hushed voice.

"Why did that lady kidnap us?", Nino asked.

"That's my nonna. She's been akumatized. She forced my grandpa to give her my phone and used that to figure out who you are", Marinette explained.

"Well now that we're here, how can we help?", Alya asked.

Marinette struggled to move in the sweater. "She just seems content to bake me things and knit me clothes."

"Yeah, until Ladybug gets here", Adrien pointed out. "She'll go after the miraculous like the rest of the akumas have."

"Don't forget about Cat Noir", Nino said. "It's all over the news, so they're probably both on their way right now."

Both Marinette and Adrien turned their eyes away. Ladybug and Cat Noir were right here but of course neither of them could say that. They'd have to find a way to transform without being noticed.

"Hey, where's your Gramps?", Nino asked.

"He's in timeout", Marinette said. With huge effort, she removed the sweater and opened the door to her grandfather's room. He stood there, frozen as a statue of coal.

Alya's mouth was agape. "Sooo, that's what's gonna happen to us if we get in trouble. Great."

In the kitchen, Befana hummed to herself as she fell back into a routine that she hadn't done in years. But it was like riding a bike for her. You never forgot. And she was determined to turn this house into a home.

"I hope you have a purpose for those hostages Befana", Hawkmoth said, butterfly appearing over her eyes.

"Everyone wants to go to grandma's house. Even little superheroes. And my precious Netta should be with her friends. She is a good girl."

Back in his lair, Hawkmoth held tightly onto his cane. He had wanted to keep Adrien out of trouble at all costs. And yet here he was right in the middle of danger once again. At least this akuma was mostly harmless, so long as she didn't turn Adrien to coal. In the back of his mind, Hawkmoth considered the Peacock miraculous. Having one would make Adrien stronger and able to defend himself.

He shook his head. Perhaps one day he would tell Adrien about all of this. But that miraculous was damaged. And he couldn't lose anyone else. But if he could get one of the other miraculous that Ladybug and Cat Noir seemed to lend out...

While he had been lost in his thoughts, he missed a large chunk of the action and suddenly Ladybug and Cat Noir were fighting Befana. Alya and Nino had been turned to coal for tricking her and allowing Marinette to get away. Hawkmoth couldn't see Adrien but he hoped he had gotten away with his friend. If he'd been turned to coal...well, he supposed that was a form of safety itself.

Back in the magical house of sweets and sweaters, Cat Noir used his cataclysm on Befana's bag and a dark butterfly flew out. The sack turned back into a suitcase and everything else returned to normal. Gina sat there in the middle of the living room, defeated as Roland burst from his room.

"I think we should give this family some privacy", Ladybug said, needing to make a quick escape so that Marinette could reappear.

Alya and Nino wanted to protest, wanting to see their friend and actually talk after being kept apart for days. Cat Noir would also like to hang around, but his ring was beeping. Hopefully Marinette and her grandparents could have an honest conversation. The civilian pair and hero pair left and the moment they did, Gina and Roland searched for Marinette.

They checked her room first and she was there in the middle of the room, panting. "I'm here", she huffed.

"Marinette!", Gina cried. "I'm so sorry, I don't know what came over me! I've never been that...I don't know what happened."

"It's okay", Marinette said. "Hawkmoth feeds on all kinds of negative emotion. I know you didn't mean it."

"You've never been taken over by that power, have you?" Gina led Marinette over to her bed and sat down as Marinette shook her head. "There is a part of me that wishes I could be that kind of grandmother for you. The kind that bakes and sews and is...always here."

Her eyes glanced at Roland, who was standing by the door, but he remained silent. For once, there was no derisive comment or even a snort. He said nothing but stayed there as a presence.

"Sometimes I wish you were here more too", Marinette said. "And, sometimes...I wish..." Her eyes began to tear up. She was afraid to say this but she didn't know when she'd get a chance again. "Sometimes I wish I was still living with my parents." Marinette began to wipe her eyes, fearing her grandfather would shout at her to stop crying. "I know it's selfish, but I want to be with them."

"My dear, it's not selfish at all", Gina assured her, pulling her into a hug. "You lost something precious. We all did. And I think it's time to admit we haven't been handling it well."

"Bah!", Roland said, finally speaking up.

"Roland, you locked her away and cut off her communication", Gina said, putting her hands on her hips.

"I'm not the one who turned into a villain's minion over it", he gruffed.

Gina huffed in return and Marinette was afraid that they'd start fighting again. But instead Gina simply stood up.

"You and I will be talking about this. In the meantime, I'll be staying here a little while longer. Marinette, it's late so we'll have to order take out for dinner. After that, you're going right to bed so you can be up bright and early for school."

Gina said all this and then walked out of the room, Roland sputtering after her. Marinette closed her door and let out a deep sigh as she fell back against the bed. Today had been a whirlwind.

"I've never heard my grandma tell me to get to bed so I can be ready for school."

Tikki giggled as she zipped out of her hiding place. "Well she's a grandmother, which means she also used to be a mother. She's probably used to telling your dad to get to bed."

"Yeah", Marinette said as she hugged her pillow to her chest. It was a strange thing to think about, her dad growing up and being raised by those two. Marinette's phone began buzzing and she remembered she had it again. When she looked at it she saw more than fifty messages from about a dozen people. It all looked very overwhelming, especially after today, and she decided to simply send something in the class group chat, usually reserved for homework questions.

_'I'll see you all tomorrow at school.'_

Seconds after it was met with replies from just about everyone. Most sent ones of happy relief like Rose, _'can't wait 2 c u!!! <3 <3'_. Some sent questions like Nathaniel, _'where have you been?'_. Even Chloe sent something: _'missed seeing your ugly cardigans'_.

Marinette left them unanswered. She could face them tomorrow. Right now she was going to let herself process everything and relax.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TWO THINGS!!:
> 
> So, you guys can see I've mostly been following the progression of the show and we're getting to the end of season 2. At this point season 3 has aired but ML is notorious for its airing schedule which means while season 4-5 have been confirmed, actually getting episodes is...like a tenuous thing. 
> 
> So this is around the time I ask what episodes from season 3 you guys wanna see most. But also I'm putting the future of this fic in your hands. And whichever the loudest majority is, will be what I go with. 
> 
> Option 1: I continue as I have, using the existing episodes as templates while altering some developments here and there. This means that once I get through with season 3, we'd have to wait until season 4 airs before I can get started on that which, I'm gonna be honest, based on past ML airings might be a long while, effectively putting this fic on hiatus after season 3.
> 
> Option 2: After season 3, I continue on but with my own ideas, at which point this fic will be completely canon divergent. I can't guarantee how long it'll go after that, but I would reach a conclusion/finale and it would definitely happen before we get anywhere near ML's actual finale.
> 
> So what do you guys think?


	36. Frozer

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> just realized this update marks a year since the first chapter so happy bday to this fic

Was Adrien any good at fencing? He couldn't remember. It didn't feel like he was any good. His feet were clumsy and his grip was loose. And it felt like Kagami was coming at him with everything she had.

"You're not in top form today", she said, taking a step back from Adrien as he fell to the ground.

"Sorry", replied, slowly standing back up.

Practice ended and after changing their clothes, Kagami caught Adrien moping around the lockers. With a frown, she approached him.

"Why are you so distracted today?"

"Sorry...again. I've been thinking about someone", he said vaguely. Adrien had been pining for Ladybug for months and there was still no sign of her ever returning his feelings. Not as Cat Noir and especially not as Adrien.

But Kagami had assumed he was talking about Marinette. "Does she think about you as much as you think about her?"

"What? I-...I don't know. I hope she does but..."

"You can't spend your life chasing after someone who isn't even looking for you. Maybe it's time for you to change targets", Kagami said.

Adrien's eyes widened. Change targets? He didn't think he could stop loving Ladybug so suddenly. But maybe Kagami was right. Maybe his heart and mind wouldn't be in such disarray. Perhaps if he gave his love to another girl who was beautiful, kind, and smart.

"Thank you Kagami. I think I'll follow that advice!"

* * *

Marinette was waiting outside the school, swaying lightly on her feet. Her grandmother would be picking her up today so that they could go shopping for dinner. She hummed to herself, nodding and waving to her friends as they went on their way home.

"Hey Marinette!", Adrien called, running from the school to get to her at the bottom of the steps. "Are you um, busy this weekend?"

"No, I'm not", she said.

"That's great! So, do you think you'd like to go ice skating with me then?"

Adrien's eyes were unusually big and sparkly, which probably should have alerted Marinette that this wasn't any normal proposal. But she didn't notice and so she replied as if being asked on a outing with a friend.

"Sure. I'll have to ask my grandparents first, but I'd love to."

"Awesome! See you then", Adrien smiled as he walked over to the car waiting for him.

Marinette went shopping with her nonna, cooked dinner with her grandpa, and then stayed in her room to quietly practice Chinese when Alya called her.

"Adrien told Nino who just told me! Congrats!", Alya exclaimed.

"Um, on what?"

"On getting a date with Adrien! Do you know what you're wearing yet?"

"Alya, it's not a date", Marinette said. She rolled her eyes. Her friend was so easily excited over nothing.

"That's not what Adrien told Nino. He's really looking forward to this date."

"Alya, it's not a date. And I'm sure Adrien was just about to invite you two to go with us."

"Well it just so turns out that Nino and I are busy on that day, so sorry."

"Alyaaaaa", Marinette whined.

"Go and get you a man!"

Alya hung up and Marinette immediately began to call and message her other friends. She needed someone, anyone to come along and turn this date into a hangout. But apparently everyone was so totally busy or had other plans and couldn't act as a buffer for her. Marinette was starting to suspect that Alya had got them all first, but that wasn't fair.

It got to the point where she almost jokingly emailed Bridgette to come on over. Then one more person came to mind. Someone who would be perfect.

And so the day rolled around and Adrien waited for Marinette outside the ice rink. And so Marinette arrived, with Luka in tow. Adrien's smile cracked just a bit but he quickly regained it, putting on his usual mask.

"Hey Adrien, you remember Luka, don't you?"

"I do", Adrien said, giving him a little wave.

"Nice to see you again", Luka greeted him in return.

"No one else was able to join us today, sorry", Marinette said, playing it off like she was the on unable to plan this outing properly.

"Um, yeah, no problem", Adrien said. "Let's go and get our skates."

Inside, it was quite empty, in fact the three of them were the only ones here to skate. Which made Marinette feel even more awkward. Why was no one here? They tied their skates on and Marinette was in such a rush that she went out onto the ice first. The moment she stepped onto it, she wobbled and held onto the wall.

"Marinette, let me help", Adrien said, holding a hand out to her.

She took it without thinking, her mind seeing it as a friendly gesture. And they skated about halfway around the rink before she remembered that Adrien had asked her out on a date and he probably saw this as a more romantic gesture.

"I'm okay!", she said, suddenly whipping her hand away and losing her footing. She swayed and fell to the floor only to be caught deftly by Luka.

"Watch your step", he warned as he righted Marinette.

She was blushing both from her clumsy and from having been in contact with two handsome boys one right after the other. It was almost too much for her. Adrien watched them both, his expression souring a little. He moved away from the two of them and back to the opening of the rink.

"I'm going to the bathroom", he said.

Marinette watched him go, feeling conflicted. They'd been in a strange way before and were able to talk it out. So that's what they needed to do now. She gave Luka an apologetic look.

"I'm sorry, I need to go and talk to him." She went after Adrien, searching for the bathrooms. Just as she found them and was about to knock on the door, ice began to crystallize on the floor and rose up the walls. This could only be the work of an akuma. She prayed that both Adrien and Luka would be safe while she went into the girl's bathroom to transform.

"Looks like the perfect environment for one of those power ups!", Tikki beamed.

"I was thinking the same thing. Tikki! Power up!"

When Marinette disappeared, Ladybug appeared, her suit optimized now for icy combat. And a cute little tiara to match. It wasn't hard to find the person responsible for the cold. He was very loud. And it was from him that the ice spread. On her skates, Ladybug was quick on the ice but he was still faster. She was about to take a pause to call Cat Noir when he appeared, his staff hitting Frozer from the side and making him slide across the frozen Seine.

"Nice timing Cat Noir!"

"You know I'd never give you the cold shoulder~"

With Cat Noir here to help double team, taking out Frozer wasn't much of a hassle. Ladybug wished she could just being doing this sometimes. Instead of having to deal with confusing relationships. Speak of the devil...

"Ladybug?", Cat Noir spoke up, his voice uncharacteristically soft.

"What is it?", she asked as the ice vanished and the regular warm weather of late spring returned.

"Is there really no chance for us? None at all? Even though I love you and will always be devoted to you?"

It was hard to look into Cat Noir's big green eyes right now. He was being so open and vulnerable, but was also asking too much of her. He was important to her, but she could never give him what he wanted. So she shook her head.

"There's no chance for us Cat Noir. You're better off finding someone else to love."

"Someone else..." Well that would be the second time someone had told him to give up on Ladybug, not counting the times Plagg had tried to deter him. But Adrien never counted those. "Alright", he said with a heavy sigh. "But...I won't ever stop caring for you. And thanks for hearing me out."

"Of course. We're partners", Ladybug smiled, feeling a new clarity.

At the rink, with everything back to normal, the date/outing had ended and Adrien approached the car his bodyguard drove. Marinette looked to Luka, wishing she could explain everything without it becoming word vomit but there was just so much to include in order to make him truly understand and-

"I'll see you around Marinette", Luka said, giving her a kiss on the cheek before walking off, making his exit.

Marinette ran up to Adrien and stopped him from leaving. "I wanted to talk to you about today."

"What about it?", he asked.

"You...You're not being fair!", she shouted suddenly.

"I'm? What are you talking about?"

"I would have...", she pushed some hair behind her ear. "I would have said yes to a date, if I had known it was a date. But you need to be more, um, forward about it. Otherwise next time I'll say no."

More forward? That wasn't something he normally heard in his ventures into romance. Then again, he did lay it on pretty thick with Ladybug. He figured that was what girls liked, thanks to all the romantic movies he watched and books he read. But he guessed he was too subtle when it came to Marinette.

"Wait? Is this you're way of saying you'd want to-with me-you'd want to-"

"I"ll see you at school Adrien", Marinette grinned, giving him a kiss on the cheek before turning and walking away.

When they were a good distance, Tikki peeked out from Marinette's purse. "You're turning into a regular heartbreaker."

"What? Me? No!", Marinette denied.

Obviously, Adrien, Cat Noir, Luka, and Nathaniel would beg to differ.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> yall voted unanimously for option 2, so we're blazing a trail right through canon. I've already outlined season 3, which will be still using a lot of the same framework but going into season 4 everything will be completely new (so if yall have ideas for akumas I'm all ears LOL)
> 
> and just to give yall a taste of what's to come, I uploaded a spoiler-free teaser of the second half of my s3 outline onto my tumblr https://apomaro-mellow.tumblr.com/post/628033845643689984/heres-my-outline-of-whats-coming-up-in-the
> 
> Anyway, next up we finish s2 with Heroes Day!


	37. Catalyst

"So, what have you all done to be heroes today?", Ms. Bustier asked the class.

"I'm going to go to the old folks home and play them all their favorite songs", Nino said. "Ragtime and swing's pretty cool actually."

"I'm going to tutor my Chinese class in fencing and my fencing class in Chinese", Adrien said.

"I've been...helping my family out more often", Marinette said. It was the best she could come up with. She didn't want to reveal that she'd been helping them out by attending counseling with her grandparents. She didn't think it was a bad thing, she just didn't want everyone to know her business like that. Marinette was brought out of her thoughts by the sound of Lila chiming in.

She was on video on a screen in front of the class. Apparently her parents' work took them all over the world and Lila had to follow them.

"Your fundraising sounds wonderful Mylene. Speaking of raising awareness for climate change, that's exactly what my parents have been discussing with Prince Ali..."

Lila went on talking about how her parents and even she herself were involved with world leaders trying to make true changes to the world and that this was her great project for Heroes Day. Marinette kept silent. She didn't buy any of it, but that was only because Lila had lied about the one thing she could disprove. But because it involved her secret identity, she couldn't really tell anyone about it.

Lila signed off and Ms. Bustier reminded everyone that today was a day to celebrate nice intentions big and small. It was called Heroes Day now because Mayor Bourgeois figured it would be good PR, but this day had already existed as a local holiday, Good Deeds Day. But since the arrival of Ladybug, Cat Noir, and all the other part time superheroes, it had gotten bigger.

The rest of the morning went by normally and at lunch time, Marinette left from the school. She usually either ate in the cafeteria or would go home. But one of the things she learned during therapy was to make time just for herself. Not as Marinette Dupain, Roland and Gina's granddaughter, not as the class rep, not as Ladybug, not even as a friend to Alya, Adrien or Nino.

Just as Marinette.

So today for lunch, she was going to dine alone. She'd heard of this food truck and went out to seek it. Meanwhile, unbeknownst to her, her class was thinking up a group good deed. Their chat name literally was 'everyone except marinette'.

Their plan was for a picnic. Something of a potluck where their overworked friend didn't have to worry about planning or organizing, just enjoying herself. Rose had actually done much of the planning, coordinating on who was bringing what. Adrien had chosen the location and set the time. He had a gala to attend that evening and didn't want his father to give a reason for him not to attend.

It was set for right after school and everyone was using lunch time to make sure their dishes were at the ready. While at home, everyone saw every channel get changed to a news bulletin that showed an akumatized Ladybug turning Cat Noir to dust. Adrien's eyes got wide as he watched in his bedroom.

"Plagg! Is that actually what would happen if I used my Cataclysm on a person!?"

"We'll talk about that later", Plagg said, actually sounding serious. "Right now we've gotta figure out what's going on because that's not the real Cat Noir."

"Which means that might not be the real Ladybug", Adrien said, relief heavy in his voice. His lady was fine. She wasn't akumatized. That meant it had all been fake. And illusion. A lie. Adrien didn't know for sure if it was Volpina again, since Lila was supposed to be overseas. But maybe she had lied about that as well. Adrien left his lunch half-finished.

As he traipsed through the city as Cat Noir, he saw people in despair from what they had just seen. And then he saw a hoard of red butterflies. The fact that there were so many and that they were red instead of the usual black had him on high alert. He was searching for Ladybug, but somehow his eyes zeroed in on Marinette rushing back to the school. He landed on the steps just as she was about to enter.

"Don't go inside! You should be getting home."

"Cat Noir!? What's going on? I just saw you get-"

"I know. It's not true. But even I don't know what's up. So you've gotta get somewhere safe."

Just as Cat Noir said that, the worst thing imaginable began to happen. Akumatization. Not just one akuma but several. Everyone around them got touched and absorbed the evil butterflies, their bodies transforming.

"Marinette, stay safe", Cat Noir said before going after the new obstacles.

Marinette watched for a moment before doing the opposite. She went behind the school to transform, knowing what to do. And she knew that those whose help she needed would too. Just about everyone in Paris knew that akumas could only effect those who let a negative emotion control them. After transforming, the first thing she did was head over to Master Fu's.

If everyone in the city was in danger of being akumatized, she'd need all the help she could get. Ladybug wished she had the entire miracle box at her disposal, but in this sort of situation new heroes would hurt more than help. So with his permission, she grabbed the bee, turtle, and fox miraculi. Ladybug zipped to Rose's house first and presented her with the honeycomb.

"We've got our work cut out for us", Ladybug said.

"I know. But I also know that we can do this", Royal beamed, pumping her fists.

Royale went off on her own to survey the town at large while Ladybug went to get the others. Alya was next on her list. She didn't actually know who Carapace was, so she'd have to leave that to Cat Noir. She found him still fighting off akumas at the school and helped him push them back. Then she tossed the turtle miraculous over to him.

"You know what to do", she said.

Cat Noir winked and together they took off...in the exact same direction. Ladybug didn't think much of it until she started towards the locker room where Alya had last texted her.

"Cat Noir, you don't need to come with me", she said. "We need to cover as much ground as possible so that we can defeat Hawkmoth as fast as we can."

"I'm going where I need to my lady", Cat Noir said. "I thought you were following me."

They came to the locker room where Alya and Nino were huddling in a corner, holding onto each other. Cat Noir held up the bracelet and Ladybug held up the necklace. Then the two of them shared a look. Nino and Alya shared a look. Then everyone started pointing fingers and shouting.

"You're Rena Rouge?!"

"You're Carapace?!"

"How long have you known Nino?!"

"How long have you known Alya?!"

"You_ both_ know our names?!"

"This is too freaky man", Nino said. "What're the odds?"

"Yeah...", Alya said, scratching her chin. "What are the odds that two heroes would choose the both of us separately without ever knowing what our identities are? You guys must be pretty close."

That was a scary thought for Ladybug, to be so close to Cat Noir and still not know who he is. She shook her head and handed the fox miraculous over. "We don't have time to worry about that now. Paris could fall by the end of the day if we're not quick."

After transforming, the four of them took off and went right to the Eiffel Tower where Hawkmoth, or rather Scarlet Moth was seen, giving his usual spiel about getting the miraculous. They landed on a nearby roof where Royale was waiting.

"The whole city is being attacked, but there are some small groups of people fighting back", she reported. "Last I saw, they were erecting barricades in the streets to protect other people."

"You can always count on Parisians", Carapace said.

Ladybug smiled. With a team like this, they couldn't lose. Scarlet Moth was done for. She approached the villain, backed by her comrades.

"I'll admit, you caught us by surprise. But even that won't stop us from defeating you!", she shouted.

"You're outnumbered Ladybug!", Scarlet Moth barked back.

"And you're outmatched! Lucky Charm!"

A tennis racket fell into her hands and she looked around, an idea formulating as Animan, Riposte, Mr. Pigeon, and a few other akumatized victims. They charged and Ladybug led the vanguard of her team, keeping the racket attached to her hip until she needed it. The team split to each take on an akuma, Cat Noir taking on two. He fought between Riposte and Dark Cupid.

Ladybug felt a swell of pride in her chest. He had cut down on the jokes and was focused on the fight. She felt that same feeling for the other three, holding their own and prioritizing safety and stopping the victims instead of hurting them. Ladybug didn't know how Hawkmoth had gotten so much power. But he couldn't be allowed to terrorize her city like this.

"Carapace! Clear a path!", Ladybug shouted.

"You got it!"

Carapace led the way, holding his shield up to protect them from Dark Cupid's arrows and the birds at Mr. Pigeon's command. Cat Noir and Royale brought up the rear. They went into the Eiffel Tower. On the way up, Ladybug quickly briefed them on the plan. Scarlet Moth allowed them to come. He was too powerful to worry about a group of children.

So when Ladybug appeared right in front of him, he didn't even flinch. Whatever she had planned for that tennis racket would be all for nothing. Today was finally the day that he would see his dream come true.

"It's time Hawkmoth. Give up your miraculous and this can all be over. No more fighting, no more hurting", Ladybug pleaded, holding out her hand.

Hawkmoth smirked, then he chuckled, then it turned into full blown laughter. "You think you can get me to stop with just sweet words? You think my ambitions are that small? That what I want isn't worth all of this?"

Cat Noir jumped from a higher railing, quiet as could be but it still wasn't good enough, as Scarlet Moth turned and met his staff with his cane. Cat Noir met him blow for blow, never gaining ground but never losing ground either. Then Carapace appeared and joined the fight. Scarlet Moth took them on with ease, swinging his cane around and knocking them both back.

"Such amateurs." He went after Ladybug next, who dodged his every attack. Cat Noir and Carapace reappeared, swinging his staff and throwing his shield and always just barely missing Hawkmoth, not quite touching him and dodging each of his hits. For as strong as he was, three on one was still a challenging battle and he was beginning to get winded.

From his lair, Nathalie, akumatized as Catalyst, looked on in worry. He couldn't fall now. Not after how hard they had worked. She watched through his eyes as he hit Ladybug and she disappeared as a mist. Confused, he did the same to Cat Noir and Carapace. As the dots were beginning to connect, he felt a sharp pinch in the center of his back and then he was frozen in place.

"No!", Catalyst shouted, rushing to the safe to grab something, the peacock miraculous.

Back at the tower, Royale stood behind the frozen Hawkmoth, having activated her Venom to keep him still. Ladybug, the real one, approached the villainous man, while the rest of her team followed.

"It's the end of the line for you Hawkmoth", Ladybug said, reaching for the butterfly miraculous. When his hue suddenly turned from red back to silver and purple, she paused and the others took caution.

"What's going on? Why did he change?", Rena asked.

"Do you think it has to do with why he was so powerful? Did he lose his power-up?", Cat Noir suggested.

"I don't know but either way, stay on your toes", Ladybug said, reaching out again.

None of them noticed the little blue feather that floated on the wind and got absorbed into Hawkmoth's cane. Suddenly a giant moth manifested and flapped its large wings, blowing the heroes back. Hawkmoth was still frozen and was grabbed by the moth and flown away.

"He's getting away!", Royale shouted.

Carapace tossed his shield but the moth was already too far away. They had lost Hawkmoth. All around them though, they could see that people were returning to their normal selves.

"I'd like to count this as a win, but it doesn't really feel like it", Cat Noir said.

"Everyone's safe now. But we're no closer to knowing who Hawkmoth is or what his goal entails", Ladybug said.

"Plus, he might have an accomplice", Rena added just as her miraculous began to beep.

"Nothing gained, but nothing lost either. I choose to see that as a positive!", Royale chirped.

Ladybug wished they could have something better than that. Hawkmoth had really done a number on the town's mentality. The fact that the day had started so bright and suddenly had turned into this.

"Well, that's that I guess. We've gotta return the miraculous", Ladybug said. "Cat Noir, you can leave it to me, since I know all three of them now."

"Yeah, how's it fair that you know all of them but I don't know who Royale is", Cat Noir pointed out.

"Oh! Am I the only one?", Royale asked.

"Those two still don't know who each other are", Rena said, gesturing to the cat and bug duo.

Carapace scratched his hood. "This is getting complicated."

"I'll make it un-complicated. Cat Noir, you return Rena Rouge's and Carapace's. I'll take back Royale's."

"Fine with me. But we should think of a better system in the future", Cat Noir said before swinging down to a lower deck, Rena and Carapace following him.

Ladybug took Royale to a different secluded area to get the bee miraculous from her. After thanking her for a job well done, Ladybug made off for Master Fu's. As Marinette, she sat before him, handing off the honeycomb.

"You did very well today, Marinette", Fu said. "Hawkmoth's power is becoming worrying. But I'm proud of how you've been proceeding."

"Thank you Master. And in the future, maybe we can discuss letting the others hold onto their miraculous? It would be more efficient than Cat Noir or I having to leave a fight to come and pick on up."

"I will consider it", Fu said.

Satisfied with that for now, Marinette got up and opened the door only to nearly bump into Adrien.

"Marinette! Why are you-? Nevermind. Don't say anything, just wait right here. I'll be done in a second!", Adrien's words left his mouth in a hurry as he went inside Fu's place, closed the door, then reappeared just seconds later.

"Adrien? Why are you here?"

"Good question. Anyway! I need you to come with me", Adrien said, hooking his arm with Marinette's and led her away.

"Where are we going?"

"It's a surprise."

Marinette was a bit apprehensive about surprises, but she trusted Adrien. And she was in fact pleasantly surprised when she was taken to the park and there were blankets set up, along with all of her classmates.

"Adrien? What is this?"

He smiled and it was absolutely dazzling being this close with him, their arms still hooked together. She found herself missing the contact when he pulled away from her.

"This is for you. We wanted to show some appreciation for you on Heroes Day", Adrien said.

"Come and get yourself something to eat, Marinette", Rose said, pulling her towards the food.

Marinette got herself a plate and once it was filled with food, she sat down on a blanket next to Alya. Adrien joined her on her other side soon after. Marinette enjoyed herself, surrounded by her friends with no expectations or formalities. When it came time for Adrien to leave for the gala, she was a little sad, but happy she'd been able to spend any amount of time with him.

"Have fun", she said.

"Fun isn't really had at these things. But maybe next time I can convince my father to let me bring a friend", Adrien said. He got into his car and rode off. Chloe also left, although her departure was met with less fanfare.

* * *

Gabriel Agreste actually made a physical appearance, marking the importance of this event. He gave a speech about heroism and thanked Ladybug and Cat Noir for their bravery today. Adrien took it as a compliment from his father. It was the closest he'd get to his father praising him for his crimefighting. Adrien mingled with some of the people, mostly those his father worked with.

But thanks to Gabriel being present for once, Adrien was saved from making conversation with adults and instead got to spend much of the time with Kagami.

"Today was rather hectic, wasn't it?", she said.

"It sure was. Good thing Ladybug and Cat Noir were there, huh?"

"How did your picnic thing go?", Kagami asked suddenly.

"Huh? Oh! It went great. Everything tasted delicious. And I think Marinette really enjoyed herself. I'm sorry you couldn't come."

"My mother is strict with my time. Just like your father. Although he seems to be getting more lenient with you."

Adrien looked across the room where his father was talking with a fellow designer. "Yeah. I guess he has. Maybe that whole thing with Style Queen changed him." That had been the first time his father had gone out in public in a very long time.

"Maybe his attitude will rub off on my mother. She still thinks friends are a waste of time."

"Well she hasn't met my friends. And you should really get to know them too. Maybe if she really saw them and how they make you happy, she'd let you hang out with us more."

Kagami had her doubts about that. Back in Japan, she had been pretty much isolated. And it was the same now even though they'd moved across an entire continent. But Kagami had made her peace with her lot in life. She had Adrien and he was a guaranteed constant in her life thanks to their parents' connections. The two of them spent most of the gala together, parting when called upon one of their parents.

That night, Kagami went home to a house that was suffocating in its emptiness. Adrien returned to much the same home, but filled it himself with Plagg and texting pictures of the gala to his friends.

Marinette went to bed almost as soon as the sun went down, completely tuckered out from the day's events.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And with that we have finished season 2! Whooo!
> 
> Starting with the next chapter we are onto season 3


	38. Weredad [REVISED]

Roland looked up from his paper when he heard Gina's voice coming from Marinette's room. He tried bringing his attention back to the newspaper. There was nothing wrong with his ex-wife spending some girl time with their granddaughter. In fact, he should be encouraging it. But when he thought of all the things Gina did that were unbecoming of a woman...

Riding around on that motorcycle, traveling by herself, her very, very short hair, her status as an unmarried woman... Roland gripped the pages tightly. He didn't want Marinette picking up any bad habits. With that noble intention in mind, he set down the paper and went up to her room. He knocked, and it was Gina who told him to enter.

"Well, what do you think?", Gina asked, presenting Marinette, who sat in a chair.

Roland was speechless. As was Marinette.

"I looked up recent makeup trends for girls Marinette's age. I think it's very fashionable, don't you?", Gina prompted. "And the wig is very convincing."

Marinette sat there, her real hair hidden by a wig styled in a short bob in the same color as her natural locks. Roland didn't know anything about makeup really, but he could tell that her eyes looked a little bolder, her lips shinier, and her skin a bit smoother. It was a light look. And yet to him it was like she was painted thick like a clown.

"This is how it starts", he said. "Next thing you know she'll be made up and meant to walk the streets!"

"Roland!", Gina shouted in reprimand but the damage had already been done.

Marinette ran off to the bathroom, tears beginning to fall from her eyes. She looked herself over in the mirror. She thought she looked fine. But even this amount was too much for her grandfather. Tikki poked her head out of her bag and tapped her hand against Marinette's, trying to reassure her. She heard her grandparents beginning to argue and she couldn't take it right now. She left out of the bathroom, passing them without notice and went outside.

"Marinette, you don't have to feel bad about the way you look."

"I know, Tikki. And...surprisingly, I don't. But my grandpa won't ever allow me to look like this."

"What are you thinking?", Tikki asked.

"I don't know yet. But I'm wondering if maybe...we're not meant to be in each other's lives."

Marinette was walking around aimlessly, trying to cool down and give her family time to do the same. After about ten minutes of this, when she was on her way back home, Tikki peeked out again.

"Um, don't you have an appointment to keep?"

"An appointment? With who?"

"With Cat Noir?"

"Oh my gosh!", Marinette exclaimed. She had promised to go on patrol with him. Doing makeup with her grandmother was only supposed to take a short amount of time. But then the fight started and she got sidetracked and she'd be late! She tried remembering where she had planned to meet up with him but he sort of saved her the trouble by hopping from roof to roof just ahead of her.

He caught sight of her and did a double take before jumping off and landing a few feet from her.

"Marinette? I almost didn't recognize you. Trying out a new look?", he asked, eyeing the hair.

"Oh, it's just a wig. I was just...playing around with some looks. Wh-what're you doing out here? Is there an akuma around?"

"No", he waved the idea off. Just waiting for My Lady to do a few rounds on the city. You look good with short hair though. Most people can't pull off a bob."

"You really think so?", Marinette asked, pushing some of the hair behind her ear.

Unbeknownst to either of them, Roland was just able to see them through the window. He couldn't hear their conversation but he didn't need to. All he saw was some boy with a weird hobby, talking to his granddaughter wearing more makeup than any girl should have. He and Gina had ended their conversation and she had went to the bedroom to relax while Roland sat in the living room.

As he felt his anger grow, he got a tingling sensation and then a voice sounded in his head.

"Guard Dog, I am Hawkmoth. All you want is to protect your precious princess. She doesn't understand the dangers of the world. But you do. I will give you the power to keep her from all harm, and in exchange, you will get me what I want."

Gina had walked out of the room and decided to look for Marinette. When she passed Roland, all she saw was him looking out the window and didn't notice anything strange.

"Oh! There you are", Gina said when she saw Marinette not far from the gate. She took another step forward just as the gate turned into a strong iron wall behind her, locking them out. The building itself changed into a steel fortress and Roland, now in the form of a large white dog, burst through the door and jumped the fence. He stood between Cat Noir and Marinette, growling menacingly at the hero. He then turned and grabbed Marinette by the back of her shirt and carried her back inside.

"He's literally put her in prison for talking to a boy!", Gina shouted.

"Don't worry, ma'am", Cat Noir said. "I'll save her." And he was sure that Ladybug would be here in no time.

But first he had to figure out how to get inside. He jumped onto the wall and waited a moment. No sensors or defenses right here. That was good. He stepped onto the ground and that didn't alert anything. Now just for the door. Which of course was locked and made of iron and he was unable to break through it. He could use his cataclysm but was it too early to do that? What if he needed it later?

He wished he could tell where the akuma was. Or know what would Ladybug do in this situation. He considered going to Fu and getting a partner to help him, but he didn't want to leave Marinette on her own. He looked up and saw that there was in fact a camera watching him at the door.

"Let Marinette go! You can't keep her trapped!"

All he heard was a series of growls. Apparently there'd be no talking to this akuma. No reasoning with him. Cat Noir didn't think he'd hurt Marinette. But he still had to get her away from him.

Locked away behind the iron walls, Marinette felt like a true prisoner. And Cat Noir was right outside. It would be really hard for Ladybug to appear only for Marinette to disappear. Even more so with her grandfather keeping vigilant. She sat on the couch, unable to see out of any of the windows while Guard Dog circled around her. Then she heard her nonna's voice through the camera feed.

She was scolding her grandpa in two languages and for a moment Marinette wondered if her grandfather even knew Italian. Cat Noir, meanwhile was sneaking his way to the top of the building. Gina Dupain was very eager to be the distraction.

He pulled off the latch door on the roof, with great effort and infiltrated the building. Once inside, he prowled around until he found Marinette. She made eye contact with him and he put a finger to his lips. With Guard Dog distracted, Cat Noir went on the offensive, attacking him from behind. Guard Dog roared and when he turned, Cat Noir held out his staff.

"Marinette! Get out of here!"

She took the chance and ran off. But before exiting the building, she found a dark corner and Tikki zipped out of her bag. "Time to transform!"

Cat Noir kept trying to talk to the akumatized man and make him see logic and reason. But he was a complete animal now. His giant paws swiped at him and he was able to dodge most, but one caught him and threw him against the wall. He groaned in pain and slowly lifted to his feet in time to see Guard Dog charging at him. Ladybug entered, kicking him to the side.

"You okay, Cat Noir?"

"Yeah. He's a tough one."

"Do you know where the akuma is?", she asked.

"He's got a collar, but it's hard to get to underneath that fur."

"I'll give you the shot. Just be ready. Lucky Charm!"

A pen showed up in her hands and she was stumped. Was the lucky charm really trying to tell her that the pen was mightier than the sword? Cat Noir was keeping Guard Dog's attention while she came up with a plan. When Cat Noir was thrown back for the second time, she got it.

"Get ready Cat Noir!"

"At your service mmmmladyyyy", he slurred, still a bit dizzy. He shook it off and got in a stance.

She charged first and then jumped, breaking the pen and using the ink to blind Guard Dog's eyes. When he howled, Cat Noir got in close and destroyed the collar. Roland lost his powers, and Ladybug turned everything back to normal. She made a quick escape so that Marinette could be found safe and sound.

Cat Noir watched the family reunite and wanted to get a word in, but he'd transform back at any minute, so he left without saying anything. Roland hadn't known what it was like to be under that kind of power. He had called Gina weak once for giving in to it. But he was no exception. And because if it, he had scared his loved ones.

Roland sank down in his chair and buried his head in his hands, quiet for a moment before looking up.

"Marinette, I... I haven't been fair to you. Not for a very long time..."

* * *

Adrien let out a sigh as he practiced his piano playing. The piece was a rather somber one and it got him thinking heavy thoughts.

"Marinette's got a pretty complicated family life."

"You're one to talk", Plagg said.

"I just wish I could make it easier for her", Adrien said, the notes falling from his fingers.

"It's not like you can separate her from her folks. The best thing you can do is lend an ear and ocassionally provide a distraction."

"Like Cat Noir does for Ladybug? That's actually some good advice for once, Plagg", he smiled.

"And you're surprised? What about my recipe ideas?"

"Cheese-on-cheese-on-cheese isn't a recipe."

"Hmph. Well, my point still stands. You're just a kid, you can't change her home life. You can just make her social life more enjoyable."

"Yeah, you're right", Adrien said, looking over to his desk where a pair of tickets sat. And he knew exactly how to do that.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Up next: Chameleon


End file.
